


Distorted Diesels: Continued

by LucielleintheSky1987



Category: Distorted Diesels by Missluckychan29, Trains - Fandom
Genre: Trains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 45,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23832478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucielleintheSky1987/pseuds/LucielleintheSky1987
Summary: Branching off from the original runhttps://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211This continues with the sentient engines from the last series since I'm not done with them yet.Anyways, these are more stories about the BUNX diesels.Character Designs:;https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
Kudos: 3





	1. A Fox Never Forgets Betrayal part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain Burlington Northern Santa Fe diesel shows up in Winnipeg and Nellie won't tolerate it
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Fang is based on a real person who was a real jerk  
> Angie the SD40-2 is my OC  
> Vesper the SD60 is my OC  
> Sapphirra the GE C40-8W is my OC

It was an autumn Wednesday in Winnipeg, the skies were grey as a light drizzle came down upon the prairie city.

Nellie was just leaving a bad day at CN where she was leased to most if not all days of each week, when she had to stop because of an incoming grainer, she saw a BNSF diesel leading the train.

A big orange Dash-8 rocketed down the line singing songs from a cartoon show about unicorns, his exhaust was a dark grey, the number on his boards 917. It was Fang Curtis Gunther, the sleaze ball who objectified her.  
He breezed by into the yard without noticing Nellie waiting at the switch, still singing to himself, "Unicorn Friends, Unicorn Friends, I never knew how great companions are. Unicorn Friends, Unicorn Friends, now I have 5 and we go far. Laughter and kindness get you places, loyalty and honesty both have graces, being generous is quite swell, and don't forget the magic spells. Unicorn Friends, Unicorn Friends, I love you alllllll!"

Nellie's anger flared, she wanted to go to CN and throw him out of the yard and finish him off, but she needed some advice first.  
Once the train had passed, Nellie hurried down the line trying to get to the GWWD yard to ask Zoey what do even do.  
She slid down the embankment when she reached Archibald Street, changing forms, she wasn't in her normal human-form, her raw anger had made her turn into her fox monster form. She ran on all fours through the tree-line and darted down into the CP switching yard, darting between trains that were waiting, in an attempts not to be spotted by a human.  
The ginger fox monster darted up the yard and out diagonally across the road once no traffic was passing through, she scrambled through the open entrance to the GWWD yard and stood bi-pedal before she entered the station.

Zoey, who was the last one there, was sitting reading a message on her phone from Ellie, set down her phone and jumped in surprise as she saw Nellie as a fox monster.  
The GP30 had to look for a little bit before she realized it was her best friend. She asked, "Nellie, what happened?"

Nellie explained quickly in her voice that was growlier because of her form, "Jerk-face is in town, he rocketed by me singing the theme song to that stupid unicorn show he's obsessed with, now what should I do? Ignore him or kick his ass?"

"He's the guy who objectified you because of your cab and silenced your feelings and made you..."

"Yes that guy!" Nellie interrupted, completely distraught and pacing.

Zoey stopped for a second and thought before she asked, "May I kick his ass instead?"

The fox monster flopped down on the couch she slept many nights on, thinking out-loud, "That might jeopardize our work contract with CN..."

The bunny-eared brunette sighed and remarked, "And you said he didn't see you?"

"Yeah, maybe I need to calm down..." Nellie rationalized, her form shifting to her normal human form, she sulked because she wanted to go out and get revenge.

Zoey reassured as she walked over to sit beside Nellie, "IF he DOES do anything, let me know, and we can show him who's boss."

Angie waltzed into the office and saw Nellie and Zoey, she walked over to a chair and sternly remarked, "Zoey Selene Krolik, if you are hitting on Nellie I WILL have to Havah Nagilah you."

"Angie, I'm not hitting on Nellie. You don't have to hit me with a chair... again," The humanoid GP30 responded with an annoyed sigh.

"Just making sure", Angie remarked as she sat down on the wooden chair and asked softly, "So what's wrong, berry torte?"

"My jerk ex is in town... I don't know if I should kick his ass or not." Nellie explained meekly, "His name is... well I don't like saying his first name, but he's BNSF 917, his last name is Gunther."

"Gunther?!" Angie asked, her purple eyes that normally were gentle or concerned reflected raw anger, "Gunther as in Hans Gunther, the neighbour who tried caused my late father's parents to end up dead?"

The two other humanoid diesels with the animal ears shrugged.

The coppery-haired, winged woman explained emotionally, "Back during the War before any of us were built, my engineer's parents were in Germany, the night before they left, Hans Gunther, their neighbour, smashed the glass in their bookstore and caused many books to burn, leaving them to leave with only what they could grab and head for Canada for safety on a ship." Angie sighed in sadness, "The atrocities of that war still resonate."

Zoey and Nellie looked at each other in shock of what Angie had just said.

The winged humanoid SD40-2 responded in a cheerful tone, "So, if you need me to handle this Goyim, I will."

Nellie anxiously responded with a nervous laugh, "Let's hope nothing happens and he just goes away."

The brunette concurred, "I entirely agree."

The next day, Angie was sent instead of Nellie to CN, she wanted to pry some information if she could. She rolled over to the BNSF after dropping off some tanker cars from the practice yard to the main yard's fuelling station.  
She looked up at him, not saying anything.

"Hey, nice glasses," the orange diesel numbered 917 greeted Angie, looking down at her, unamused by her boring vessel.

The SD40-2 responded back, trying to sound at least half friendly, "Thanks. Where you from?"

"Santa-Fe, how about you?"

Angie responded passive-aggressively, "I was built here, but I'm one of the children of God."

"Ah, another Christian engine, praise Jesus."

Angie wanted to correct him but was worried if she exposed she was Jewish flat out.  
The GMD diesel responded in a passive-aggressive tone again, "What denomination? Catholic? Anglican? Protestant? Mennosimons?"

"Lutheran, like my engineer, and his family," the Dash 8 responded, thinking nothing of it.

"Peachy..." Angie muttered, she began to head away.

"Wait, wait, where are you going?" The GE diesel asked, confused that Angie was leaving.

Angie grew annoyed and huffed, "I have to get back to work... so yeah," her compressor kicked on angry she couldn't use her colloquialisms.

"Aw, just come back baby-doll," he pleaded.

Angie had enough and lost it on him, "Goyim, please, you're mashugana if you think you can call me 'baby-doll', learn some respect you amoretz khazer."

Fang stared in shock that Angie insulted him in Yiddish, he tried to say something back but by then she was already gone.

Angie was irked that Fang had the audacity to pet-name, she radioed to Sapphirra, her voice showing how irked she was, "Hey Sapph? There's a Dash 8 in the fuel line, he's a real shtik drek!"

"Hell, he must have really been awful if you're calling him a shithead," the Blue Devil diesel who was coming in with a grainer to the CN yard.

The SD40-2 radioed back to her girlfriend, "He's at the fueling station. I'm not sure if you have heard of him, but he's one of Nellie's old flames who caused her some major emotional damage. And he called me a baby-doll."

The teal Dash-8's mind recalled a situation that was gossiped about a few years back mentioning Nellie that circulated, about how the former EJE diesel and her BNSF sibling had nearly destroyed a yard due to a domestic dispute.  
The blue devil sighed, "Poor girl, and that's gross he'd call you that ... I'll see if I can talk some sense into him, he can't flirt with family."  
The train pulled by Sapphirra and a CN cerulean diesel numbered 2232 named Lapis, came to a stop in the switching yard and the two larger diesels went on their ways, Lapis to head to the shops to deal with a clicking sound in her trucks, and Sapph headed to the fuelling station.

Fang looked over at the Blue Devil approaching and called out jokingly, "Blue Angel, Blue Angel, show me thy paint."

"Oh, so mature," Sapphirra responded as she rolled her eyes, she remarked, "So, you're the one who was hitting on my girlfriend, the SD40 from BUNX."

"Oh shit I didn't know that was yours," Fang apologized, "how come you wanna smash with her when she's so plain?"

Sapphirra got irritable and responded, "Fang, I want you to think a bit. The small diesels are WHY we can pull the large grain trains, so if it wouldn't kill you, be a little bit more respectful."

"I don't take orders from you, princess," Fang chuckled as it was now his turn to fuel up, he exclaimed joyfully, "Finally, time to get that bloat I crave!"

Sapphirra felt disgusted and left, shuddering in shock, she decided to go refill at the secondary station closer to the practice yard.

To Be Continued


	2. A Fox Never Forgets Betrayal part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branching off from the original run https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> This continues with the sentient engines from the last series since I'm not done with them yet.  
> Anyways, these are more stories about the BUNX diesels.
> 
> A certain Burlington Northern Santa Fe diesel shows up in Winnipeg and Nellie won't tolerate it
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Fang is based on a real person who was a real jerk  
> Angie the SD40-2 is my OC  
> Vesper the SD60 is my OC  
> Sapphirra the GE C40-8W is my OC

Thursday Morning turned into afternoon, Sapphirra was allowed some rest time, she headed down the line to the GWWD to see Zoey and wait for Angie to get off work, oblivious she was being followed by the BNSF diesel from earlier.

The teal CN blue devil stopped at the diamond by Zoey's industrial home and focused deeply, shifting forms to be her human form.

Fang looked on in awe, fighting the urge to howl at the diesel who was not only related by metal, but was already seeing the SD40-2 that shut him down earlier.

The thigh length wavy mane of teal swung prettily as she walked, oblivious that she was being followed. She pulled the white plain scrunchie off her wrist and tied her hair up into a ponytail so it wouldn't knot before she sprinted down the gravel road to the Greater Winnipeg Water District yard.

Fang focused deeply and changed into his hardly humanoid form. He looked like if George Costanza was a were-coyote dressed in a BNSF t-shirt that was a bit too snug, jorts that exposed his patchy furred legs. He tried to walk quickly to catch up with Sapphirra but had to stop and catch his breath, he dove into a ditch to avoid being seen because his panting was that loud. 

Sapphirra entered the office of the GWWD yard, the workers were off to lunch, and approached the area of the office for Zoey, finding she was snacking on some cherries while she was working on a laptop on invoices. The CN C40-8W walked over to Zoey's desk and asked, "Hey, you know anything about a creeze Dash-8 who upset my girlfriend?

"Yeah, wait... what's a 'Creeze'?" Zoey asked as she set aside her laptop.

"Oh, a Sleazy Creep."

Zoey responded worriedly, "Oh, you mean Fang. Yeah, he's a BNSF POS who used to chubby chase Nellie and then she kinda beat him up."

"Well, shit, I wish I would've known, I would've rounded up my sisters who are at Symmington right now and we would've made him sorry," the teal haired tall woman sat down in front of Zoey's desk and continued in an annoyed tone, "He tried to creepily hit on my Angeline, and wouldn't listen to my advice about respecting smaller engines."

"I really hope leaves us alone and sticks with his own posse of friends, especially poor Nellie, she's really shaken up by this. That's why she's not working today."

Sapphirra heard her cellphone ring, she apologized politely, "I'm terribly sorry, I'll be right back, I need to take this call from Angie," before she headed out of the station and over by the shops to take the call from her adorable GMD girlfriend.

The brunette rabbit eared humanoid GP-30 went back to work, snacking on the dehydrated, pitted cherries in the bowl on her desk, only looking up when she heard the door open again.

Zoey called out as she stood up, "Hello? Is someone there?"

An annoyed voice groaned in a voice like that of an adult Eric Cartman, "Uh, hey... where's the manager of Bunks? I want to file a complain."

The brunette stood up and walked out of her office area to see who it was, she asked, "Hey, that would be me, and it's pronounced either B U N X or Bun-X "

Fang looked up and down at Zoey, he scoffed, "As if, an engine can't run a railway."

"Excuse me?" the brown eyed girl asked as she was taken aback 

"Even a preservation railroad in Kansas is run by bi-pedal canids," Fang rebutted as he rolled his eyes.

"Okay, but this ain't Kansas, Toto.." Zoey joked back, hoping the coyote-man would leave.

Coyote scoffed and remarked, "Okay, whatever, your SD40 was rude to me at CN, Si..."

The brown eyed bunny-eared girl grabbed sternly onto the hand of Fang with her gloved hand harshly, she remarked with a growl, "I swear to GMD, you finish that word and your knuckles WILL be all broken. If you can't respect that I'm a woman then you'd better see yourself out if you don't want to be short a coupler."

Fang pulled his hand free of the grip of Zoey and glared at her before storming out of the station, his mood dampened due to all the girl engines he encountered giving him a hard time. He wasn't looking where he was walking and bumped into CP 6304 who was humanoid at the time.

The humanoid SD-60, better known as, Vesper apologized politely, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see where I was going."

Fang chuckled annoyedly in an attempt to change the subject to himself, "Yeah, so uh, I thought Canadians were nice but all the ones I've met today have been rude to me."

The pink and ginger hair woman remarked gently, "Well, sometimes that happens, maybe it's just their bad days?" She reassured, "Chin up, I'm sure things will be alright."  
The pink-ish red clad woman began to walk towards the station to ask Zoey something when she felt some fingers slide across the backside of her silk-broad cloth black skirt. She felt so angered she turned around, curtly snapping, "NEVER FUCK WITH A GIRL WHO KNOWS AIKIDO!" and grabbed the canid Dash 8 by the midsection and flipped him hard onto his back hard. She turned and walked away, making sure her black high heels clacked when she stepped on the pavement. 

Fang stared up at the sky annoyed and in severe pain, he stood up and hobbled out of the yard, in an attempts to head back to the CN yards to recover.  
He hobbled down by 404 Archibald and was in the middle of changing back to his normal diesel form when he noticed through the window of the industrial building turned into a home a familiar looking humanoid.

Inside the building, Nellie was standing at the kitchen sink washing a bowl she had eaten Kraft Dinner out of, she glanced up upon hearing the sound of a GE diesel passing by. She saw the back radiator wings of a BNSF diesel and shrugged it off, going back to washing dishes.

Fang's insides stung with rage as he huffed to himself, "They're all sided with that whore, well, let's take care of the fox problem."

To Be Continued


	3. A Fox Never Forgets Betrayal part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain Burlington Northern Santa Fe diesel shows up in Winnipeg and Nellie won't tolerate it
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Fang is based on a real person who was a real jerk  
> Angie the SD40-2 is my OC  
> Vesper the SD60 is my OC  
> Sapphirra the GE C40-8W is my OC

It was a sunny Friday mid-morning when the bespectacled Norfolk Southern GE diesel approached the industrial home at 404 Archibald and honked his P5 Nathan horn to get the attention of the humanoid SW1001 inside, he was passing through town and wanted to apologize.

Nellie walked out and up to the short fence by the tracks, still in her pink and black cotton and spandex pyjamas, she yawned as she groggily spoke, "Malcolm, it's 9AM... I was just about to have toast... Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

Malcolm shifted down to his humanoid form and walked up to his former girlfriend before holding his arms open to offer a hug, he explained, "I-I was the reason Zoey gave you a hairbrush which.. w-well.. which lead to you being upset with her."

"YOU STINKER! THAT REALLY SCARED ME!" Nellie chastized as she crossed her arms and looked away. Her fox ears pointed downwards as she scolded, "She didn't want me that way... I'm not that kind of girl anymore."

Malcolm asked worriedly as reached out his hands to try to comfort Nellie, "What, uh, what happened that broke you, hun?"

Nellie looked around and headed back to the house, coaxing Malcolm to follow her inside to talk.

The tall black clad man followed Nellie inside and sat down at the kitchen table, watching Nellie. He reassured, "Nell, you don't have to make me a coffee."

The humanoid SW1001 was already prepping the Keurig coffee maker to make him a cup of hazelnut coffee with two sugar and no cream, "I wouldn't feel right not making you your favourite morning drink."

"So anyways, uh, so... a-about..." Malcolm began before he was interrupted.

Nellie pressed the coffee maker once she put a mug underneath the spout, explaining worriedly, "After you, I was with someone truly awful..."  
She walked over to Malcolm with his coffee silently once it was ready, she sat down next to him, shuddering as she recounted her past traumas, "I took pity on him because he was a loner, and accepted his offer for a relationship since he seemed like a nice guy... I was so wrong..." She continued as she pushed her toast away as her stomach began to hurt, "He only wanted me for my shape and size. He groped my stomach even when I told him no... He asked me to notch when I didn't feel like it, and he would back-notch me even though I consistently told him I hated it. He talked down to my little sister Ellie, and not only that but he always minimized my feelings and always wanted to talk about Unicorn Friendz even if I didn't care much for it. He wanted me to change colours and put on more human weight and some other things.. I couldn't do it, I had to leave, Malcolm."

The Norfolk Southern humanoid diesel placed his hand gently on Nellie's shoulder, soothing gently, "I'm so sorry."

"I beat him up when I broke up with him,"

"He deserved it though, from the sounds of it..." Malcolm reassured, he looked worriedly at his old flame, his heart ached for his former lover.

"I saw him yesterday, Malcolm, but he didn't see me, I just want him out of town... Heck, Ellie is coming later to accompany me in case I run into him... I'm really scared," the SW1001 remarked sadly, beginning to sob and quake with fear.

Malcolm hugged Nellie from the side and patted her back, soothing gently, "There, there... I'll stay with you until Ellie comes, I'll keep you safe."

Nellie asked worriedly, "What if Zoey shows up?"

"She's a fairly harmless cotton tail who is looking out for your safety. So I'll just leave before I cause her to be angry, after all, you mean so much to me, even as a friend," Malcolm soothed before sipping his coffee  
Once he set down the mug, Nellie hugged him tightly. He patted the humanoid SW1001's back gently.

Noon arrived and Malcolm and, a now-properly-dressed, Nellie were drawing together in the living room; Nellie laying on the rug while colouring, Malcolm drawing sitting on the love-seat. The Norfolk-Southern leaser diesel fidgeted with the cap on his sharpie as he asked, "So what'd you make, Nellie?"

The fox-eared woman held up her sketchbook showing Malcolm a cartoony drawing of herself holding her favourite rabbit doll.

"Aw, now that's precious." Malcolm responded joyfully before flipping around his sketchbook to show a tree that branched off many times and had little black blossoms at the end of each permanent-ink branch. 

"That's beautiful, Malcolm, holy notch!" Nellie exclaimed, she chuckled and remarked with a smile, "You should have that put in a picture frame."

The nice little artsy moment was broken by Zoey, who came home for lunch.  
"What the HELL is HE doing here?!" The rabbit eared woman shouted in shock as she put her hands on her hips as she entered her living room.

Malcolm explained in a serious tone, trying not to let his speech impediment of stuttering occur, "You see, uh, Miss Zoey, I was coming by to check on Nellie when she said she was afraid of her a-awful ex finding her, so I agreed to stay here and keep her company as a means to protect her."

Nellie stood up and stood between Zoey and Malcolm, she apologized, "I'm sorry I let him in, but I WAS scared, especially since you told me my bad ex harassed you, Angeline, Vesper, and Sapph yesterday. And besides, Malcolm didn't do anything to me, I swear!"

Zoey sighed and lightly squeezed the bridge of her nose out of annoyance. The brunette exhaustedly ordered, "Please, Mr. Goldstein, get out of my house..."

Malcolm walked over to the short fence and stepped over it with no effort at all, he looked to Nellie who was standing in the doorway of the industrial home and called out friendily, "If you need me, just radio, Nellie. I'm sorry I stirred up trouble."  
He walked over to the CP rails, focused deeply and shifted forms to his true GE form and headed to the small yard near by to relax.

"You let HIM into my house, after what he made me do to you?" Zoey inquired to her best friend, more concerned than angry.

"I'm headed out... I can't do this right now, I'm too stressed," Nellie answered as she grabbed her keys and proceeded to head to the CN line to head to the Forks to get some macarons and have an Espresso Junction jumbo hot chocolate to calm her nerves. The ginger focused deeply and turned into the SW1001 she truly was and stormed down the line, her engine rattling with annoyance and anxiety.  
The sulky diesel headed down the line and got to nearly by the Dairy Queen when she was spotted by the BNSF diesel she disliked and feared, who came around the bend by the Lagimodiere-Gaboury Park. She threw it into reverse and reversed quickly up the line, honking her horn loudly.

Fang snarled as he began barrelling after the SW1001, "OH NO YOU DON'T!" 

Meanwhile, at Zoey's house, Ellie had just portalled in and the blue skinned blonde cheerfully hugged her humanoid diesel senpai. She exclaimed happily, "I can't wait to see my big sister, Zoe! Then we can all..."

They were interrupted by the railroad radio in the living room

Nellie's startled voice came through in the radio in Zoey's house, "Zoe! I need back up! Fang's found me and is chasing me! HELP!"

The two humanoid diesels ran outside, to see Nellie fly by before seeing Fang flying after her. The two began running to the end of the fence to be able to aide Nellie.

Nelle's trucks ached as she crossed the diamond, coming to a stop with her front coupler a mere 10 feet from the intersection of the rails, she winced in pain crying out, "Truck cramp, truck cramp."   
She looked up to see the bile yellow eyes of her ex, she winced and began talking, trying to get Fang to calm down, "Fang, look I know shit didn't work out with me, but taking out your anger because of my friends isn't the way to do it. Queen Magie Regalia from Unicorn Friendz didn't kill King Calamity the Serpent when he accidentally caused a rainstorm to almost flood out Unicopia... haha..."

Fang glared down at the smaller diesel and huffed, "Yes, but WE aren't friends, and YOU spread slander to your friends. DO you KNOW how much that hurts, how much that ruins my life," he rolled into the centre of the diamond to try to intimidate the smaller diesel.

The conversation was cut by the sound of a GE approaching fast and a blaring honk of a P5 Nathan Airchime.

Nellie threw it into reverse as she watched Fang, who didn't have enough time to react, be rammed in the side by Malcolm causing the BNSF diesel to topple over like a domino and skid 6 metres.

Fang recoiled in pain, focusing deeply to become humanoid so he could begin to heal from his injuries.

Ellie ran up to Fang, yelling aggressively and started kicking him in the stomach. 

Zoey watched in shock. 

"THIS IS FOR ALL THE TIMES YOU PUT ME DOWN! THIS IS FOR ALL THE TIMES YOUR ENGINEER GINNY DEEMED MY EMOTIONS INVALID!" Ellie yelled at Fang as she kicked him. She brought her right leg back and hit him hard in the crotch with her foot, making him yelp in agony, she bent down to his level and aggressively muttered to the injured GE, "And that... well, that's for getting Tillie Senpai hooked on canned whipped cream. She did a LOT of bad things to me when she was addicted to that..." The blonde turned around and stomped away, head held high.

Zoey stammered in shock, "Ellie, I didn't think you could do that."

"Well it's simple", the humanoid SW7 responded, her voice sounding more child-like and cheery as it normally was, "I let things slide so I don't get corrupted, but I don't forget when someone hurts me or my friends or family, I just wait until I have the upper hand."

Nellie turned humanoid and rushed over to Malcolm, her ears pointed downwards, she hugged his pilot and cried, "Malcolm, you're hurt!"

Malcolm sort of leaned into the hug and soothed, "Ah, nothing a little repair can't fix. I'll be fine."

Zoey approached Malcolm and begrudgingly apologetically remarked, "Okay, so maybe you're not so bad after all, Goldstein."

Malcolm thanked Zoey before drawing his attention to Ellie, he softly asked to his other favourite switcher, "Hey, Ell, long time no see!"

The blonde girl with the blue and yellow jersey-style shirt numbered with a white two ran over and exclaimed, "Mr. Malcolm! Thanks for helping me beat up this jerk!"

"Hey, uh, no problem, he deserved it."

Fang was in too much pain to comprehend what happened after the crash, he laid on the ground curled up in a ball.

Suddenly RTC came in over the radio to Malcolm asking, "NS 6510, are you near the CP-CN diamond near Archibald Street?"

The black and white GE began calmly, "Emergency times 3, I'm NS 6510, currently stopped at stopped in emergency at CP-CN diamond near Archibald Street. I collided with another movement fouling the diamond. All tracks are currently fouled."

RTC responded, "You get the witnesses and those involved to remain there, we need to assess the scene and make a proper report, over."

Malcolm answered back to the humans over his radio, "Wilco, out."

The RTC official showed up about 20 minutes afterwards, bamboozled to see the BNSF diesel in his bipedal coyote form laying on ballast on ground in the fetal position, Nellie once again in her diesel form on the CN rails that would head to Symmington Yard, a blue skinned human looking at a sticker book while sitting on Nellie's cat walk, Malcolm sitting before the diamond with his pilot bent all to hell with his face bruised up a bit, showing where some oil was pooling in his face. He softly said to himself, "Shit, I'm... not qualified for this shit..."  
"Alright, I'm William Stevenson, I need to know what all happened, no half truths, only honesty," the man began, he turned his attention to Malcolm, and instructed, "Alright, so NS 6510, tell me what happened."

Malcolm explained calmly, "I collided with the one who is currently looks like a werewolf while I was headed through to go back to CP to fuel up, he's BNSF GE reporting marks 917. So he was blocking the diamond while he was chasing down the BUNX switcher 446. I spoke with her and from the sounds of the witness on site, it he was harassing her."

William turned to Nellie and looked at her, "Is this true, Miss?"

Zoey, in her humanoid form, exited Nellie's cab, walked down the cat walk and remarked, "Yeah, Nell and I were going to go to the Dairy Queen, when BNSF 917 came around the corner and chasing us down because he had some issue with my diesel."

Nellie explained, "He was harassing me, he has a history of harassing me in various ways."

The RTC worker flipped some pages on his clipboard and saw the previous misdemeanors on the information paper for Fang. He drew his attention to Ellie and asked, "Young lady, what did you see?"

Ellie innocently explained in her kiddish voice, "I was coming over to see Zoe, and I saw the little diesel getting chased across the diamond by the big orange one and then the black diesel came and CRASH! Big orange fell over and slid a little before he turned into a coyote-man to try to heal his broken spots."

William blinked and then responded, "Okay wow, that... wow... thank you." He silently gave Ellie an Operation Lifesaver sticker.

"Thanks Mister!" Ellie exclaimed as she added it to her collection of stickers.

The RTC worker walked over to Fang and tapped the canidae-form diesel on the shoulder and sternly began, "BNSF 917, I'm with RTC, seems that all witnesses said you were blocking the diamond AND harassing a diesel. Are these allegations correct?"

The GE winced as he looked up at the man before coughing up blood as black as old oil. He growled, "Ugh, I wasn't blocking the diamond, The Norfolk Southern was blocking the way, and I wouldn't have had to talk to the BUNX whore had she not slandered my name to all her friends."

"There's no need for that kind of language, 917, also you KNOW we have record showing you DID previously harass BUNX 446, not only that but if you'd look at HIS pilot, you'd see it's covered in YOUR orange and black paint and it's bent to high heavens."

Fang snarled, "Damn it."

William helped up Fang and remarked, intending to slightly insult, "Yeah, you're coming with me to the display cage until we know what to do with you, big fella." The RTC worker turned to Malcolm and softly remarked, "I'll get some engines from CP to come to take you to Arlington for an assessment so we can let Norfolk know you require repairs."  
William helped the humanoid GE into his truck before William himself entered his truck and drove away, radioing to CP to send some engines to pick up Malcolm before he drove away.

Ellie giggled as she watched the truck leave, "Haha! No more Fang to cause trouble!"

Nellie waited until the human was out of sight before she got Ellie and Zoey to get off her catwalk, turned humanoid, and ran up to Malcolm and gave him another hug.  
"You're a saint, Malcolm."

Zoey added with a smile, "If you ever need our help, we don't mind helping you out."

The Norfolk Southern diesel chuckled and responded, "Thank you Zoey, but I'm sure things can only go up from here."

To Be Continued


	4. The Re-Awakening of Marina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie is telling Lazuli and Zoey about her adventures in Canada when Lazuli hears about something that gives her hope that may save someone she lost long ago.
> 
> "Hn-nm" is the vocalization of Ellie's honk. When Ellie is happy she typically makes this sound. 
> 
> Tamara, Lazuli, Marina, Eoa, Annanova and Angie are all my OCs  
> Ellie the EMD SW7 in all formats belongs to herself as she too is a personality residing within me  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me

It was a mild early-October afternoon, Lazuli and Annanova had got back from their shift at Canadian Pacific. The green eyed GP20-ECO, who had just switched to her humanoid form, was feeling rather down, so the repowered GP unit and her engineer.

"Laz, I'm really sorry that CP 2222 was in the yard today," Annanova tried to quell as she pushed her humanoid-engine's wheelchair to the station's ramp.

Lazuli fidgeted with her multimark necklace and replied with a somber sigh, "I am so upset with Canadian Pacific, and Hunter Harrison. Had he not repowered any of the GP units, Marina would still be, and not just as the mindless robotic CP 2222. A-and the worst part is she HAS my sister's voice but all monotone and robotic."

The opened the door of the station to find Ellie and Zoey sharing some Halloween peeps on the couch as Ellie was talking.

"So then after we waited ALLLLLL day in the shed, we did what my Grandma Eoa asked. Duncan had brought some pure silver with him and he managed to use magic to channel the soul of my mom, Tamara. She had gotten slugged and her soul was trapped inside the..." Ellie stopped her excited tale before she looked over to Lazuli and Annanova, and greeted, "Hi Ann, hi Laz. I'm just telling Zoey the story of my adventures in the Canadian West."

Lazuli remarked as she thought a bit, "Wait... you said something about channeling a soul out of a slug?"

Ellie excitedly answered back, "Hn-nm! Yeah! Duncan used some silver to get my mom to be able to leave the vessel. Silver is a good conduit for engine souls."

Lazuli inquired, with some hope in her heart, "Ellie, do you believe that it would be at all possible to apply the same method to bringing a repower's soul back?"

Zoey looked at Lazuli and interjected, "Wait... You mean my childhood friend, Marina?" Before Lazuli could say anything, the humanoid GP30 stood up and stated urgently, "We should go work on a solution. Do you know what ramifications this could have if it works?"

"All the cyborg geeps who are just robots could be alive again if their soul is trapped but needs to be realigned," Ellie stated happily, her hands twitched eagerly.

Annanova laughed and responded, "Looks like we're breaking into CP tonight to try to bring Lazuli's sister back."

Lazuli pulled out her laptop and opened the web-browser before asking Ellie, "So, how did Duncan do it?"

"Well, if I recall correctly, he used the warlock staff he found when he was 17 to create a means of communication between him and the slug my mom was in, unfortunately it could've went worse and she could've ended up stuck in Duncan's vessel."

Annanova sighed as she saw that the plan was now flawed, "Damn it we don't have magic nor a warlock staff."

Zoey responded, her hope still in-tact for the plan to work, "No, but we have Angie. The raw power of the sunstone she can harness will prevent any secondary souls being trapped in any of our vessels."

Lazuli was worried but excited if the plan would work, she stated, "Alright, looks like we definitely are breaking into CP."

To Be Continued


	5. The Re-Awakening of Marina Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because of information provided by Ellie; Lazuli, Zoey, Ellie, Angie, and Annanova all head to CP in attempts to save the soul of a repowered GP20-ECO
> 
> "Hn-nm" is the vocalization of Ellie's honk. When Ellie is happy she typically makes this sound. 
> 
> Tamara, Lazuli, Marina, Annanova and Angie are all my OCs  
> Ellie the EMD SW7 in all formats belongs to herself as she too is a personality residing within me  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me

The humanoid diesels had headed to the McPhilips Station Casino to the Engine Lounge, a pub that allowed in any engine so long as they were more than 18 years old in material years.

The girls all sat at a table, having dinner.

Zoey picked up a sweet potato fry as she explained, "Okay, so I'll bring us all in saying that we are with Macswell. He currently is keeping a powered-down 2222 in the shops for us."

Lazuli remarked as she fidgeted with the paper straw in her glass of Pepsi, "That's good, nothing can wake a sleeping robotic, they are powered down for exactly 8 hours unless they're hard rebooted by an engineer."

"These chicken fingers are really good!" Ellie softly proclaimed while taking a short break from eating the breaded boneless strips of chicken that were on her plate with some fries.

Annanova chuckled at how precious Ellie's statement was before asking, "Ellie, you'll be able to help us with what you remember, right?"

"I wasn't actually present for the process, Duncan just told me."

Lazuli sighed, "Well, now we're fricked."

"Don't you doubt so much, little rugelach, we can figure it out I'm sure," Angie reassured to Lazuli as she looked at the new sunstone amulet she had made, it almost seemed to glow in the dim light of the pub.

Around about 8, the four humanoid diesels and the human finished their dinner and paid for it before heading back to Zoey's VW bus.  
The brunette drove the laughable distance to the gates.

The security guard greeted Zoey, "Good evening, Miss Krolik, have you come to see your Uncle Macswell?"

"Of course, Johnathan. Could you please allow us entry?" She asked in a businessy tone, hoping he would allow entry despite how late it was getting

Johnathan responded sternly, "Normally we don't allow visitors this late as visiting hours end at 8:30, but I'll allow you to be here," he smiled and then laughed, "just make sure to leave before 9:00, I have to go home sometime, after all."

"I hear ya, don't worry, we'll try to be out of here by 9,"  
With that, Zoey was allowed entry to the Weston Shops yard. She drove up to the shops where she saw Macswell waiting within the entry way of the bay. He greeted with a yawn, "Hello Zoe. You here to try to help 2222?"

"Yeah, something like that. Anyways, Macswell, you might want to get out of the way, we wouldn't want there to be an accident that would cause you to pretty much have to share a vessel with another soul."

Macswell was thoroughly confused by the words of his niece but proceeded to go to a siding so the five could see if Marina could be brought back.

Ellie smiled proudly as she took out of her messenger bag a whole box of silver cutlery and scattered it around the hood of the GP20-ECO. She stood back when she was done, letting Angie have her chance to do what she needed to do.

Angie climbed up onto the cat walk of the resting robotic GP unit and focused deeply, channeling the power of her amulet to make her into Princess Sunstone. She softly murmured a prayer in Yiddish and focused all her light energy into creating a orange aura in the shop bay.

Lazuli in her wheelchair, was pushed into the aura by Zoey, so she could have a chance to talk to Marina.  
The short haired ginger softly called out, "Marina. If you are trapped in the vessel, use the energy and the silver around the engine you're trapped in, it's me. Lazuli."

A familiar voice echoed from within the hood of the still diesel, "Lazuli? Is that really you?"

The scratch voiced young ginger sniffled, "M-Marina... I... I'm so happy you're still in there."

"I wish I could talk to you, normally, but my soul got trapped in this vessel and the programming is suppressing me. I... I want to get out... this is no way to live, even if I could help you."

Lazuli was taken aback a bit, "Help me?"

Marina's voice echoed through the resting engine, "I was informed by a wandering soul that you were still alive and in Squamish, headed for Nanaimo. When your SW1001 friend was on trial and awaiting the death penalty, I used what energy I had to affect the world of the living so that you and your friends could have safe passage to my childhood friend, Zoey, and so that the diesel wouldn't be executed."

Zoey's eyes welled up as she added, "A-and I've done the best I could for your sister by taking her under my wing."

Marina chuckled from inside the vessel, "As I have seen, old friend. You and your friends have helped make life great for my sister, even if Hunter Harrison's plan made her incapable of driving herself."  
She then addressed her sister's driver, "Annanova, thank you so much for aiding my sister in getting to where she needs to be or where she wants to go."

Angeline spoke up, "Marina, I am Angeline, you may not know me, but I am helping right now to allow you to speak to all of us. My light energy and the silver could help you retie your soul to your vessel. As mashugana as that sounds, I want you to try."

Lazuli's little voice wavered as she pleaded, "Override the programming, you're stronger than it. You're my big sister..."

The voice wasn't heard. Suddenly the engine of the diesel started up. 

Zoey jumped back a bit, worried that the programming was making the engine wake up that would ruin the process.

Angie kept the bubble of light energy, even if she was surprised. 

Ellie and Annanova looked on in shock at all of what was happening.

The eyes of the diesel slowly opened. The normally green eyes were slightly off, as the left eye was blue, and the shine of the eyes of the GP20-ECO were almost diamond shaped.  
The engine tiredly asked, "Hey... did it work?"

Lazuli's eyes welled up as she hugged the face of the engine she was sitting on, "MARINA! You're back!"

Angeline stopped her magic and shifted back to her normal form, the light energy still hung in the air

The GP20-ECO laughed happily and shape shifted down to her humanoid form which had a long ginger ponytail with bleached tips. The cutlery that had been on her cat walk all crashed to the shop floor. She held her young sister close. Marina laughed softly, "Oh, Lazuli, you've grown up so nicely and your kitty ears are so cute."  
She wobbily walked, carrying Lazuli to her wheelchair before setting her sister down. She turned to walk away but then fell down onto the concrete of the shop, barely skinning her knees thanks to her white skirt.

Zoey hurried over and helped up her childhood friend, reassuring friendily, "We can get you some crutches until you are better at walking."

Ellie ran exclaimed excitedly, "I love happy endings."

Marina laughed as she placed her right hand on her hip, "Who said it was the end, Ellie?"  
She pulled out a makeup compact from the pocket of her skirt and looked at her face, it was plain and her eyelashes were hardly the right shape. Marina sighed, "Wow, I look awful."

Zoey helped Marina over to where she could sit, watching with a dorky smile on her face as Marina put on some pale blue eyeshadow and some eyeliner and mascara.  
She happily remarked, "I'm so happy you're back, Marina, if you'd like, I could buy you up and you could work for me."

Marina sighed as she set down her makeup, thinking solemnly before she responded, "I can't do that. Before I was repowered... before any GP units were repowered, we were made to sign a contract to Canadian Pacific that we were to be property of CP unless they decided for us, which also waived any rights if injured or damaged in anyway during repowered..."

Lazuli was bamboozled, she remarked, "I don't remember a contract, but then again, I don't even remember how to drive myself, nor my last name."

"It's Mason. Lazuli Catherine Mason," 

Lazuli laughed and said with a smile, "Thanks, Marina. Now I have a last name again!"

Marina looked to Zoey and Lazuli before she inquired, "Okay, now that I'm alive, could you two fix my horn? I hate that there's no option to quill it."

Zoey remarked, "Easily, come with us and we can change it out tonight and drop you off tomorrow."

The now group of 5 humanoid engines and Annanova piled into the VW Van and left the Weston shops and headed to BUNX to work on making some adjustments so that Marina's vessel could be her vessel once more.

To Be Continued


	6. The Re-Awakening of Marina Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marina is alive now and Zoey and Laz are working on making some mends to Marina so her vessel feels like her own again.
> 
> "Hn-nm" is the vocalization of Ellie's honk. When Ellie is happy she typically makes this sound. 
> 
> Tamara, Lazuli, Marina, Annanova and Angie are all my OCs  
> Ellie the EMD SW7 in all formats belongs to herself as she too is a personality residing within me  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me

The car ride back to the GWWD yard was awkward.

Annanova just texted on her phone to her mom who was worried about the fact that the only 'child' she had was an engine.

Zoey softly remarked, "Um... so, that went really fast... Like, really. We didn't have complications, everything felt kind of... like voom, done."

Ellie nervously chuckled from the back seat.

"Ellie, don't tell me you used your toon powers to make things wrap up nicely in a short time like a cartoon episode," Zoey scolded worriedly as she drove.

The humanoid SW7 giggled embarrassedly before responding, "Oopsie."

Lazuli soothed, "It's alright, with Marina back, life can get better for all of us." She looked to her true sister in the front passenger seat of the VW bus, she continued happily, "And now you can live life again and not be trapped."

Marina was reeling a bit from everything that transpired, she responded, "I mean, one moment I was asking to be removed from the vessel, and the next I'm here, in the car with all of you. I mean... it's great but, I don't know, Ellie, you kind of... well... it's alright. Thanks for speeding things up. I'm just kind of surprised and dazed, but thanks."

The younger GP20-ECO felt worried from this, she asked sadly, "Y-you don't want to be alive, Marina?"

"Lazuli, I'm happy to be here, of course I am, it just... I didn't have a chance to ease back into life, I was just... willed back."

Ellie let out a sad vocalization of a honk, she looked down feeling like she did something wrong.

Zoey pulled the car over and sternly remarked as she looked back, "You need to stop, Ellie's going through a rough time as it is, Duncan has been in a mood lately and has been distant with her, the yard manager has been treating her horrifically, AND you're all making her feel bad for trying to do something good."

Angie responded, "Zoey, calm down... You don't have to be so seething."

"Ellie is a precious bean and I need to protect her from being sad," The bespectacled brunette retorted to the bespectacled humanoid SD40-2, "She once ran away trying to go back to BC and got lost in the woods. Nellie and I had to go find her and we don't want that to happen again."

Everyone fell silent.

Ellie broke the silence, her tiny voice shaking a little, "I'm sorry I caused this kerfuffle... Thanks, Zoey... I know you all are telling me I did not so great, and that's true... I'm sorry. I just wanted to make everyone happy."

Marina looked back at Zoey and soothed, "Oh, Ell, it's alright."

Zoey took the VW Bus out of park and resumed driving, she softly remarked as she calmed down, "Sorry for snapping. Ellie's my kohai, I want her to be okay."  
She switched on the radio to put on some Elton John to fill the silence.

Lazuli opened her laptop and began messaging Rainy to set up some flood lights and get out the tools

After a short stop at a Shoppers Drugmart to get a blue metallic cane for Marina to use, the van of the humanoid diesels and Annanova arrived at the GWWD yard and parked near the area of tracks where the flood lights illuminated. 

The older humanoid GP20-ECO exited the car and headed over to the tracks, before focusing deeply and shifting to her true form. She put her reverser in neutral, set her generator field switch off, and put her independent air brakes on full. She stated, "Alright, ready for my repairs, I'm not gonna move an inch."

Zoey helped Lazuli out of the car and carried her pseudo-sister over to Lazuli's sister, helping the young girl who was incapable of walking into Marina's cab.  
The brunette called out to Ellie, "Hey, Ell, could you call Duncan up to make us an old style pull valve for a horn?"

The humanoid SW7 sighed and remarked sadly, "No dice, Senpai Zoey, Duncan's asleep right now." 

Nellie came out of the station when she heard Angie and Annanova head towards the door to go inside have a coffee. She ran over to where the flood lights were and stared at the diesel with the duochromatic eyes.   
"Whoa! Who are you?" the SW1001 asked curiously as she made eye contact with Marina.

"I'm Lazuli's sister, Marina. You must be Nellie."

"How'd you know that?"

The GP20-ECO chuckled with a smile, rolling her eyes as if to say 'classic Nellie', "It's a long story."

Zoey looked out of the cab of the GP20-ECO and excitedly called to her best friend, "Nellie! I need you to pass me some tools and go raid the GWWD parts box, if that's alright."

Rainy climbed out of a gondola and yawned loudly, "I could help too." He looked up at Marina and growled curiously, "Hell-o!"

Marina laughed, "Sorry hun, we're likely from the same factory originally."

The auburn bi-pedal crocodilian sighed and chuckled, "Damn, I can't catch a break. Ah well." He lifted the large tool case onto his shoulders with hardly any effort and put it on the catwalk of the GP20-ECO before hopping up and opening the box so he could hand tools to Zoey.

Nellie used the set of keys Zoey had left her earlier to get into the GWWD shop before turning off the alarm, she walked to the back area where the spare parts were kept.  
The blue eyed fox-eared ginger came upon a crate crudely labelled 'Neil's Innards' causing her to chuckle softly, "Hahaha, Oh, Ruby, you have a weird morbid sense of humour that's hilarious at times."  
She rummaged through the box using her phone both as a reference guide and a flashlight until she found the parts she needed for an old pull chain style horn valve. She loaded the pieces up onto a wheeling cart and brought it out to Marina where Zoey, Rainy, and Lazuli were still working.

"I know I saw it, but I can't believe you're corrupted Zoe. I didn't even know that could happen, when I was young." 

The bespectactled brunette sighed ashamedly, "Marina, it happens when bad things cut you deeply or when you worry too much for someone you care about. The transforminite that makes us human is still unstable with the steel.  
She continued as she explained the observations she had made, "Additionally transforminite reacts with other minerals to cause our humanoid forms to be capable of greater things, like Angie turning into her sunstone form."

Nellie started passing objects up to Rainy who called up to his boss, "Hey Cottontail, parts are here!"

Zoey hurried out of the cab and began collecting up the pieces briefly examining them. She remarked, "Oh, MLW? I mean it's unconventional but it could work."

Nellie softly asked up to her bespectacled brunette bestie, "Hey, you and Laz want some hot chocolate?"

"Sure, that would be really great, thanks."

The October evening dragged on, Lazuli and Zoey diligently worked to install the vintage pull chain on Marina.

Zoey was just about to do a test of the horn when she was disrupted by her cellphone ringing. The GP30 stopped and looked at her phone. It was a call from her colourist, Lottie. She answered happily, "Hi, Lottie. You kind of called at a bad time."

"Gracious, Zoey, I'm sorry, I'll make it quick then," the humanoid Royal Hudson responded over the phone, "I wanted to remind you that your next touch up appointment will be on October 30th"

Marina asked, accidentally interrupting when Zoey would've responded, "Hey, Zoe, can I honk now?"

Lottie overheard the voice in the background of the call and asked, "Zoey, is that Marina?"

"Yeah, Marina's here at the GWWD yard and..."

"Wait there, I'll be there in a minute, I want to see her, please." Lottie responded before hanging up.

Zoey was confused and laughed, "Hey, Mar, we're not done yet, and let's wait a bit because Lottie is coming by."

The GP20-ECO coughed in surprise, her compressor kicking on, she responded, "Oh my god, Charlotte is still alive?"

The brunette came out of Marina's cab, stood on the cat walk in front of her friend, and responded, "Yeah, after she helped you back in '63, she went on to become head colourist at Aveda. And I dared to try blue because of you." 

"I think it looks great on you, Zoe. The blue looks great with your brown hair," Marina complimented before she laughed, "Geez, you really haven't changed much. Half girly, half not."

Zoey responded with a laugh as she placed her hands on her hips, "Except I'm not that socially awkward desperate child anymore." She headed back into Marina's cab to finish the work.

Nellie muttered quietly, "Desperate for a girlfriend though, sometimes." 

A silver BMW drove through the entrance to the GWWD yard and came to a stop near Marina. 

Out of the car stepped a fair blonde woman, appearing to be in her mid-40s in a white, ruby, and black dress wearing rainbow knee high socks.  
She ran up to Marina, hugged the pilot of the GP20-ECO and exclaimed happily, "Marina, dear! You're still around, and goodness what happened to you?"

Marina laughed, "Oh gosh, it's a long story but here's the run down; I got rebuilt and I vanished for a while, but I'm back now."  
She remarked, "How about you?"

"I remained an artist, and a colourist. And by looking at how plain your front is, it just won't do."

"E-excuse me? I don't follow?" The duo-chromatic eyed diesel asked, looking down at the humanoid steam engine

Lottie explained as she put her hands on her hips, "Well, you could use some reflective stripes, probably the ones that shine iridescently when the light hits it." She got up on the pilot of the diesel who was her first client ages ago and assessed the area around Marina's face. She remarked, "I think it would look lovely."

Marina giggled, "Alright, Charlotte, I'm more than happy to let you fix me again."

Zoey poked her head out of the cab doorway of her childhood friend and called out, "Okay, Marina, give us the best quilled honk you can do."

Marina took a deep breath in and let the air fill each one of the chambers of her K3LB, creating the eerie tone elegantly. She laughed and exclaimed with a smile, "THAT sounded loads better! I'm keeping this horn."

Zoey went to the shop to get some paint and a paint brush for Lottie to touch up Marina.

The humanoid Royal Hudson painted the beautiful shimmering stripes perfectly and evenly, while chatting up a storm with Marina, while Nellie and Angie had headed back to Zoey's house to get some rest in their respective bedrooms, and Annanova had headed home for the night. Ellie fell asleep on the couch of the station because she was tired.

"Ready to see, Marina?" The artsy humanoid engine asked after she was sure the paint was perfect and had dried partially.

"Damn right I am!" The GP20-ECO excitedly proclaimed to the humanoid Royal Hudson who was standing before her using her phone with a flashlight to take a video of how the reflective candy stripes looked

Lottie turned her phone around when done and played the video back for Marina who watched with her eyes sparkling with joy.  
"Well, what do you think?"

"Bless your heart, I look almost as pretty as my human form now. You're a saint, Lottie," Marina responded happily, she called to the one still in her cab softly, "Hey, Lazuli, need a hand to see me now?"  
The GP20-ECO didn't hear a spoken response but a quiet snore.

Lottie peeked into the cab and saw the smaller humanoid GP20-ECO with the one prosthetic metal leg sleeping happily. She whispered to Marina, "Isn't that so adorable?"

Marina chuckled, "I'll let her sleep in my cab, she hasn't done that in years." She focused back to Lottie who was beginning to climb off her pilot, "Thanks again, Lottie, you're the best."

"Well, I am glad I could help my first client again."

To Be Continued


	7. Girl Omens; a Distorted Diesels Shipping story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to do this for a while now. Just to write some shipping stuff that's super cute and romantic.
> 
> Anyways, here's our favourite SD40-2 and favourite CN Blue Devil in a cute little romantic story.
> 
> Girl Omens is the ship name since Angie is an angel and Sapphirra is a blue devil, like Good Omens, but with two girls.
> 
> Sapphirra the GE Dash 8 and Angeline the GMD SD40-2 are my OCs
> 
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to the personality residing within me of the same name
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/missluckychan29/art/Distorted-Diesels-Angeline-in-Formal-Wear-837513409  
> https://www.deviantart.com/missluckychan29/art/Distorted-Diesels-Sapphirra-in-Formal-wear-837576295

Sapphirra had a few days of rest before her next train out of town, and with the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend happening, that meant her girlfriend wouldn't have to work any of those days.  
The teal diesel rumbled along the tracks heading towards the GWWD yard, excited to see her girlfriend.

Angeline had just finished helping Nellie switch some fuel tankers in the yard. She reversed away from the tanker cars to be able to see her SW1001 friend.  
"That was some great work, Nellie."

Nellie laughed and responded, "You did the best work though, Angie. You've got skill."

"Don't talk down about your skills, cherry torte," Angeline remarked reassuringly, "You do much better when you're not being treated like you're a putz."

Nellie smiled and was about to thank Angie when they were interrupted by the honk of familiar K5H.

Angie rushed to the end of the yard and looked through the fence to see the teal C40-8W headed down the tracks.  
Angeline excitedly rattled off, "BUNX 5988, Open gate."

The gate began to open.

Sapphirra saw her girlfriend and began travelling slightly faster. She honked quickly before exclaiming, "ANGELINE!!!!!" She turned human when she was about 60 yards from Angie.

Angie shapeshifted down to her humanoid form and had her arms opened wide to catch her taller girlfriend.

Sapphirra leapt into Angies arms and laughed before being set down gently and picking up Angeline to return the loving exchange.

Angeline's bespectacled purple eyes began tearing up joyfully.   
"Oh how I've missed ya, my aishet chayil"

Sapphirra loved that pet name which nodded to her being an advocate. She kissed her winged girlfriend before complimenting back, "And you, my shayna maidel."

"You've been learning Yiddish. You're the best."

Nellie turned human as she was approached by her best friend, Zoey, who was in her humanoid form.  
"Looks like they've gone off the deep end again."

Zoey joked, "Should I get the garden hose before they start notching about the yard?"

Nellie laughed a bit and remarked, "Nah, they'd take it somewhere else. And besides, Angie had a date planned for Sapph."

Angeline was set down gently by her tall girlfriend. The copper-haired humanoid SD40 remarked with a smile, "I want to take you out tonight for a wonderful date."

Sapphirra's teal eyes twinkled with awe of her girlfriend. She kissed her lover on the nose before responding, "Well then, let's not waste a moment. What's on the list."

Angie began to explain, "Well, I've booked us a room at Inn at the Forks, so we can go to get a couples' massage, and go for dinner at the Palm Lounge at..."

Sapph inquired curiously, "Hey, Angie... I know you want to go to the fancier place but, I've been wanting to go to the Gay Haven of Pasta."

Angie was perplexed by the GE's colloquialism until she put things together in her head. She responded, "Well, that means less walking if we go to Spaghetti Factory... But are you sure? It's not as fancy."

Sapphirra laughed and remarked, "Angie, love, we went there for our first date. I like it there."

The humanoid SD40 smiled at the idea of going back to where they had their first date and continued, "So then after dinner, I was thinking of taking a walk by the river, all dolled up, together."

"How can you afford this?" the teal haired woman inquired with some worry.

"I've been saving for a while, Sapph. I want to make this special."

Angie put on her sunstone amulet and focused deeply, becoming Princess Sunstone. She picked up Sapphirra in her arms and remarked, "Hold on, my zeiskeit."  
Her now larger white wings helped carry the couple upwards into the sky, to fly to the Forks which wasn't too far away.

Zoey looked up and laughed as she saw the two leaving. She remarked with a snicker, "Leave it to Angie to basically take her girlfriend out Disney style."

After a short flight above St. Boniface and across the river, Angie began her gentle descend to near by the hotel. She landed upon her feet, gently, while still holding Sapphirra in her arms. 

Sapphirra gently was let down and stood beside her girlfriend, helping Angie take off her amulet so the winged humanoid diesel could appear less like a magical girl.

The two headed into the hotel, and to the hotel room that Angie had prepared during one of her work breaks earlier that day.

The room, albeit a tad plain, had a beautiful view of the city. The bed had ultra soft linens, and upon that, was two dresses. One back-less action red shimmery dress, and one blue knee length dress that had matching blue mesh sleeves and along the chest line it was adorned with little artificial crystals. At the foot of the bed were two pairs of shoes. A pair of shimmering black flats for Angie, and a pair of white flats for Sapphirra.

Sapphirra ran over to the bed and admired the dress, she blissfully held it up to herself before looking in a mirror in the room. 

"Sapphirra, my dear, we're not going to wear those just yet."

"I know, but I wanted to see it," the humanoid GE responded before putting the dress back on the bed. 

Angie went into the bathroom to change out of her day clothes and into one of the hotel provided bathrobes. She chattered from the bathroom, "I've never had a massage before. I'm really excited for this."

Sapphirra took a black hair tie out of the left pocket of her white khaki shorts and sat down on the bed. She responded to Angeline as she put her hair up into a ponytail, "I have once, but I didn't enjoy it too much. Deep tissue massages are painful."

The copper-haired winged maiden came out of the bathroom in her boxers and her t-shirt. She looked rather embarrassed, "Sapph... my wings don't fit in the robe. What do I do?"

Sapphirra thought a bit and went into her purse to find her utility knife. She walked to the bathroom and picked up a robe, before using the knife to cut two holes that her girlfriend's wings could protrude out of comfortably.  
The teal haired tall beauty remarked with a laugh, "I'll pay for the robe to be replaced. Now you can use it comfortably."

Angie looked at her humanoid Dash 8 girlfriend who stood before. The bespectacled humanoid SD40-2 had never seen her girlfriend with her hair up. She responded awkwardly, "That's a different look for you."

Sapph shrugged and remarked, "I don't want it being in the way when we go for our massages. I can't always wear it down. 

"I know," Angie responded as she put on her modified robe, letting her wings comfortably fit through the holes of the soft fluffy bathrobe. She adjusted Sapph's ponytail so it draped over the humanoid GE's shoulders.

The freckled woman realized Sapph needed to get changed so she exited the bathroom and waited on the couch in the hotel room for her girlfriend.

After a few minutes, the humanoid former IC Dash 8 exited the washroom, her teal hair now instead in a long, tightly woven, side braid that was draped over her left shoulder. She looked to her girlfriend and asked, "Ready to head down?"

"Certainly."  
As the two exited their hotel room and began their trek to the hotel spa, Angie had a question to ask.   
"Hey, Sapph... Did you redo your hair because of my silly comment?"

Sapphirra looked to her shorter girlfriend and responded completely honestly, "Yes, however, I know we're going out later. So I thought this would work nicer."

Angie asked out of curiosity as she admired her girlfriend once they stepped into the elevator, "Could you teach me how to braid later?"

"Maybe," Sapphirra responded with a smile before pressing the elevator button.

The two lesbians arrived at the spa and headed to the massage room.   
Angie, once inside, took off her glasses. She derobed and with the help of Sapphirra, got on one of the massage tables, clad still in her undergarments as she wasn't comfortable with human strangers looking at her humanoid body naked.

Sapphirra, however, had no issue getting up on her massage table, as well staying in her under garments as a sign of solidarity to her girlfriend.

The masseuses entered the room and were surprised to see the two grey skinned women already upon the massage tables.   
One of the two humans introduced both of them, "Good afternoon, I'm Grace, I'm a registered massage therapist, as is Joyce. I will be massaging Sapphirra. I'm guessing that's you, with the blue hair, right?"

Sapphirra joked, "No, I'm Angeline," before laughing, "I'm kidding, Angie is my girlfriend, she's a red head."

Angie couldn't help but laugh at what Sapph said.

Joyce approached Angie and asked, "Are there any stress spots... Oh goodness you have wings."

Angie looked up at her masseuse but had trouble seeing her that well. She responded, "Yeah, it's a little bit of a long story."

"Would you need them massaged?"

The copper haired woman thought a bit before responding, "Yes please, if you're comfortable, and my back please."

Grace asked to the humanoid engine she was standing beside now, "What about you, Sapphirra?"

"Mostly my shoulders and my back, but please be gentle... I once got a deep tissue massage and it hurt like hell."

The blonde human responded with a smile as she went to get some lavender oil, "Of course, I'll be careful."

Joyce got some vanilla oil for Angie's massage and began rubbing the humanoid diesel's back, while her coworker began massaging Sapphirra. 

Angeline breathed in deeply, drawing in the vanilla aroma. She glanced over at her girlfriend who looked so comfortable before relaxing more herself.   
"This is so nice...." she sighed in a relaxed voice. Closing her eyes as as she felt the masseuse begin to massage her wings. She thought out loud in a whisper, "That's the spot...."

The two humanoid engines reveled in the comfort of the couples' massage, able to just completely unwind from the work week. However, the bliss was cut short when the massage ended. 50 minutes of relaxation was now over.

Sapphirra and Angie put their robes back on and headed up to their hotel room, now with a spring in their steps.  
"I feel factory fresh. Gracious, that was wonderful. Thank you so much, Angie."

Angie responded giddily as she walked along with her girlfriend, "My wings feel so relaxed. We should do this again."

"Agreed!"

Sapphirra drew the blinds of the hotel room while her girlfriend was in the bathroom getting dressed for their dinner date, so she herself could get dressed.

Angie had gotten dressed and was now trying to make herself nice. She put on some fuchsia lipgloss and put on a little mascara, humming to herself as she made herself look nice. The humanoid SD40 untied her ponytail and brushed her chest-length hair carefully to try keep the ringlets from frizzing. She quickly misted her curls with some hairspray and looked herself over, admiring how gorgeous she looked. She opened the bathroom door and stepped out, the flats tapping the wooden floor as she approached Sapphirra, who was now in her dress, sitting on the bed.

"Oh my gosh! You look so amazing, Angie!" Sapphirra began as she stood up and went up to her shorter lover, "You're always beautiful, but just, you look so..."

"Elegant? Like you?" Angie asked with a loving smile before kissing her girlfriend passionately.  
The humanoid SD40-2 broke the kiss and stated, her heart full of adoration for the humanoid GE before her, "Now then, let's go show those hetero-humans how a date is really done."

Sapphirra laughed, before following her girlfriend out of the hotel room, so the two could go enjoy some pasta and fresh sourdough bread.

To Be Continued


	8. "Worthless Trash" part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Norfolk Southern begins to tank, Malcolm is shown the door for busting himself up when he was trying to protect Nellie from Fang.  
> With no where to go, Malcolm seeks help from the Canadian friends he has.
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Sera the SD40-2 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Oceana and Sapphirra the GE C40-8

A weary Malcolm Goldstein rolled into a rail yard in Minneapolis to await his inspection before he could go home for repairs. He was tired from his long journey back to the United States, but he was sure he would have a chance to recharge during his repairs.

A man in a black suit with a NS lapel pin on the left side approached Malcolm with a clipboard.  
He looked over Malcolm silently and marked an X on some paperwork before he remarked dryly, "Mr. Goldstein, please turn human and come with me in my vehicle."

"I, well, that's the thing- uh, sir..." Malcolm began with a nervous laugh in his baritone voice, "I, I'm too injured as a humanoid."

The man looked unamusedly at the engine before him and remarked sternly, "I didn't say 'if it pleases you, your highness'. Turn human now and come along."

The General Electric C40-8.5W complied silently and shifted into his humanoid form. With his left arm he clutched his torso in pain, since his humanoid form had busted ribs. His right arm was in a make-shift sling so it would heal properly.

The man scoffed and aided the humanoid engine into the car before he joined Malcolm in the car and headed to the Minneapolis head office.

The ride to the small building was quiet and awkward, a calm before the storm that would happen.

When the two arrived at the office, Malcolm was lead to the branch manager's office and ordered to sit down in front of the desk.

The bright harsh lights of the office illuminated the plain steel desk with paperwork and charts that from Malcolm's perspective, looked like they were going upwards. The room smelled of the ozone emitted from the computer, that normal stuffy office smell, as well the artificial aroma of cucumbers from a wall plug-in diffuser.

A different man in a suit entered the room. He sat down behind the desk and began sternly speaking to the injured humanoid engine, "8510. I have been informed of your incident up in Canada. Despite the fact that the incident was not your fault, the damage you've sustained is too costly to repair, and the cost of having you scrapped is also too excessive."

"E-excuse me?" Malcolm inquired, "But Norfolk is doing great, I've seen the charts on your desk."

The manager picked up the chart, holding it the right way for Malcolm to see. He angrily retorted, "WE'RE TANKING, MALCOLM! There's no budget to fix our fleet. We have to sell off most of your siblings just to be able to break even this quarter."

Malcolm asked confusedly, shocked more than anything, "So... what does that mean for me?"

The manager sighed, "We've collected your things and you're free to go. We can't sell you, we can't scrap you. Just get out of here, Goldstein."

Malcolm was about to turn and leave when the man let out a fake cough and asked, "We expect your NS shirt back, that's company property."  
With some slight struggle, the humanoid GE took off his leather jacket without hesitation, took off his black and white golf shirt with the emblem on it and placed it on the manager's desk with some spite, exposing his slightly toned but scrawny frame, bruised but handsome.  
"Life finds a way, and as will I!" Malcolm stated before he put his jacket back on, slightly struggling, but managing to get it right.

The assistant of the manager came in carrying Malcolm's cardboard box of items but stopped and stared in awe at Malcolm's chest.

The dark brunette accepted the box from the woman with his left hand and he said, "Draw in this sight, it's the first and last time you'll see me, let alone me with my shirt off." He then left the office and went outside to think about what he would do now. Malcolm sat down on a bus stop bench near the Norfolk Southern office and set aside his box of belonging.   
He would have to explain this all to his girlfriend, Sera, a NS SD-40 whom he had been dating since he and Nellie had broken up. He took out his phone about to call Sera when he notice there was a text from her on the screen.

'We need to talk', is what it read upon the green text bubble on Malcolm's black iPhone 7. 

The GE's humanoid form's heart sunk. He had a bad feeling about this. Sera and him had been fairly distant lately with him working in Canada, but everyday he called and texted to her about how much he loved her. 

When Malcolm got home to Sera's temporary 'apartment', which was just a loft above an old SOO Line shop, he was greeted by Sera packing up boxes.  
He knocked on the door frame and asked worriedly, "So, s-so Sera... wh-what's all this?"

Sera moved a strand of her jet black hair out of the way before crossing her arms. She harshly snarled at her now ex-boyfriend, "So you said you didn't have a thing for the little banana switcher. Well rumours travel fast, Malcolm."

Malcolm's tone got stern, "She couldn't protect herself, she was going to be crushed to death by a BNSF GE!" He got more upset, "I felt like I needed to help."

"If you were any good boyfriend, you wouldn't go prowling around your ex's place," the jealous SD unit explained, "do you know how this makes me look in front of my friends?! Do you know that I'm insulted you'd rather protect a fat and sad weakling than pay attention to me?! You're not over her, Goldstein..."

The GE pinched the bridge of his nose slightly and rubbed it with annoyance, he stopped this and stared at Sera, his stutter vanished as his upset emotions shone through, "So you don't want me to be friends with Nellie because you're insecure?"

Sera knew Malcolm saw through her, but she didn't want him to know he was right. She yelled, "Malcolm Jeffan Goldstein, I want you to leave! Right now!"  
She took out her Nokia flip phone and started texting someone, "I'll see if Oceana can help you move your stuff... She's headed to Winnipeg anyways. Maybe you can stay with your precious banana loaf."

Oceana, a former Illinois Central C40-8W now better known as CN 2455, arrived to the dwelling above the old SOO shed.   
The teal haired pale woman looked at the boxes and at Malcolm and remarked, "Damn, I thought you guys were doing so well together."

"I don't really know, Angellus, it just kind of... happened without my knowing," Malcolm explained calmly.

Oceana gathered up some boxes and helped Malcolm bring them outside. She felt really bad for her half brother.  
She shifted forms while holding the boxes, including the one Malcolm had with him from work. She called to Malcolm, "Hop in, Lydia, my driver will be here in a little bit so we can head north."

Malcolm struggled a bit, but was able to get up into Oceana's cab, which the door was open to. He sat in the brakeman's seat as he glanced back at his belongings stacked near the back of the cab. His heart sunk.  
He stared at his phone, looking at the lock screen image of him and Sera from last summer when they took a trip to New York Central before he unlocked his phone and deleted the photo.

It was going to be a long journey to Canada.

To Be Continued


	9. "Worthless Trash" part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Norfolk Southern begins to tank, Malcolm is shown the door for busting himself up when he was trying to protect Nellie from Fang.  
> With no where to go, Malcolm seeks help from the Canadian friends he has.
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Sera the SD40-2 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Oceana and Sapphirra the GE C40-8Ws are my OC  
> Lydia is my OC as well

A mousy brunette with pale grey skin climbed through the window of Oceana's cab and fell onto the cab floor.  
"OOF!" She exclaimed before beginning to stand up. She noticed Malcolm and tilted her head to the side slightly before asking, "Oh hey, Malcolm, Sera being unreasonable?"

Malcolm looked up from his phone at the CN engineer and responded somberly, "Yeah, uh, something like that, Lydia."

Oceana responded to the two, "So now Malcolm needs a lift up to Canada."

Lydia, who used to be an engine back in the late 90s, reassured kindly, "Don't worry. You're a good guy, we don't mind having an extra traveler with us."  
The former CN 4001, hopped into the engineer's seat and stated with a laugh to Malcolm, "Normally I drive Oceana all by myself, but since you're here, I won't have the RTC breathing down my neck so badly. Just make yourself look busy when we pass through a yard."

Malcolm laughed a bit and remarked, "You lesbians are real gems."

Oceana sighed and asked to the humanoid engines in her cab, "So, tell us what went down Malcolm," as she began her venture to the yard to collect the train headed up to Winnipeg.

Malcolm recounted as he put his phone into his pocket, "You see, I, uh... I only know she was jealous, that, that uh, I saved my friend who is my ex-girlfriend from being flattened by her abusive ex."

"Well there's problem number one. She doesn't understand that you did it out of friendship, not out of love," the teal CN General Electric diesel responded to Malcolm.

Lydia interjected, "Secondly, the fact that she's jealous for someone you no longer feel romantically inclined to is horrifically toxic."

"S-she uh, sometimes can be r-rather toxic, I suppose," the dark haired bespectacled guy recounted, thinking about the times Sera was upset with him for working late or when his train was delayed for reasons that weren't his doing, as well as the fact that he wasn't allowed other women engine friends unless they were gay.

The mousy brunette responded gently, "Well Malcolm, Canada is the land of single diesels. I met Oceana up there way back when I was still an engine. Trust me, you'll find someone."

Oceana approached her cars and backed up to them as she laughed, "Believe us, Malcolm, I see how some engines make goo-goo eyes at you, and I know how you treat ladies. You're a real catch, Malcolm."

Lydia felt Oceana's coupler couple up to the line of cars. She responded, "Hold what you're about to say, Malc. I'll be back in a jiffy."  
She hurried out of the cab door to Lydia's back cat walk to couple up the air hose.

Malcolm sighed as he leaned back a bit on the brakeman's chair. He asked to the diesel he was sitting in the cab of, "You sure Oceana? I-I mean... d-do you think I can have a relationship after this?"

"Oh, trust me, a lot of engines know Sera's just a big old bag of wind, who sometimes speaks out her long end."

The brunet man thought about Oceana's words, while he still cared about Sera, he couldn't deny that Sera often times was a bit of a 'can I see the manager Karen' at times.  
He softly responded, "Thanks Oceana. You're the best. And thanks for you and Lydia agreeing to take me up to Canada."

"You shouldn't thank us yet. Lydia and my singing while out on the rails might make you leap out the window," Oceana teased, but knew she and Lydia sometimes would sing some AC-DC.

"Nah, I'll be fine."

Lydia soon returned to the cab, the same way she had come in initially.

"Hey, how come you don't come through the same way as you exit?" Malcolm asked the humanoid

"Because I can," Lydia responded as she stared blankly at Malcolm, she then smiled and responded, "That and sometimes the cab door jams in the autumn."

"Shouldn't you have that checked out?" he asked worriedly

Oceana remarked as she began slowly forward to exit the yard, "CN said if I replace that door then they're repainting me, and there's no way I'm letting them take my teal paint. With my luck, a repaint would take away all my human form's hair or something awful."

The humanoid GE C40 8.5W could relate to that, remembering a decade or so ago when Nellie had a panic attack because she was worried she'd be repainted. He soothed, "It's alright, maybe my friend up in Canada knows someone who could fix that."

"Someone who's better at engines than me?" Lydia scoffed with a smile, "I'm the foamiest humanoid there's ever been, if I can't fix Oceana's door, no one can."   
The humanoid GP35 took pride in the fact that she knew everything about most kinds of engines, but it did upset her that she couldn't repair her girlfriend's cab door.

"Well regardless, I'll be sure to show you around where Nellie works now."

Oceana stopped at the mention of the SW1001, "Nellie... You mean the little fox girl that my sister Sapphirra knows?"

"Same one."

Lydia flapped her hands with delight and let out a squeal of excitement before she giddily giggled, "I get to meet an SW1001! This is going to be super exciting!"

Oceana laughed and joked to her humanoid girlfriend, "There goes Lydia, foaming over engines," before resuming her venture out of the rail yard and onto the mainline.

"Don't fret, my blue angel, I love you the most."

"Maybe this trip won't be so bad after all," Malcolm thought to himself as he looked out the cab side window sort of daydreaming, hoping that things would go alright.

To Be Continued


	10. "Worthless Trash" part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Norfolk Southern begins to tank, Malcolm is shown the door for busting himself up when he was trying to protect Nellie from Fang.  
> With no where to go, Malcolm seeks help from the Canadian friends he has.
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Sera the SD40-2 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Oceana and Sapphirra the GE C40-8Ws are my OC  
> Lydia is my OC as well  
> Jackie the GP30 is the trainsona of EsquimaltNanaimo on DeviantArt

Nellie was cornered in the practice yard, Slade glaring down at her and screaming at her for being worthless and stupid because she didn't feel comfortable moving some propane tankers with how they felt when she pulled them.

"YOU THINK THAT UNSTOPPABLE IS REAL AND THAT IT'LL HAPPEN TO A SMALL AND WEAK DIESEL LIKE YOU? YOU THINK YOU'LL DIE IN A FIERY EXPLOSION FROM PULLING TWO, TWO ALMOST EMPTY PROPANE TANKERS? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! IF I WERE HUMAN I'D SMACK THE STUPID OUT OF YA! IF YOU WERE NEW I'D SEND YOU BACK TO THE FACTORY AND ASK FOR A DIESEL THAT ISN'T RETA..."  
The GE diesel was interrupted by a radio message for him to head to the south side of the Transcona yards as a bay was open for his repairs.  
He remarked angrily before he began to back away, "If you keep this shit up, Nellie, you'll have no job and will be sitting in a scrap heap."

Nellie watched as the engine she saw as her father figure headed away. The remaining memories of Beezel harassing her rang in her head. She tightened down on her truck springs as a form of self punishment to cause herself pain as instructed by the remnant memory of the Mercury.  
She felt tears sting her face before she blinked some away, she wasn't allowed to cry on the job.

The sound of an RS3L horn rang through the late morning October air, causing Nellie to look to the mainline. There would now likely be more work to do.

The SW1001 was surprised by the sight. The direct sister of Sapphirra was headed by pulling a freight train with Malcolm in his humanoid form sitting in the brakeman's seat. She uncoupled from the cars she was hooked up to and radioed to the yard managers that she had to take a short break before getting approval.  
The SW1001 left behind her practice crew to take a break while she headed to the main yard to see what was going on.

The train came to a stop right by the shops. Oceana honked her horn twice before proclaiming to Malcolm, "All passengers for Winnipeg, Mantoba, this is your stop. Thank you for travelling with Lesbo-Rail."

Nellie rolled up to the train cautiously and studied the number of the Dash 8 a little closer.  
"I-It can't be... this IS THE REAL BLUE ANGEL!" Nellie thought to herself silently before she rolled forward to at least make some glancing eye contact.  
She greeted politely, "Hello, welcome to Symmington Yard."

Oceana looked down the the little diesel, causing her blue eyes to sparkle. She remarked in a voice one would use when they saw a cute animal, "Awwww, what a sweet little pup! You're so adorable!"

Nellie looked away and sighed, hearing nice things about a few minutes after she was ripped apart emotionally was sometimes rather rough. She responded softly, "Thanks, but I'm just a worker. Anyways, may I ask you a question miss..."

"Oceana Angellus,"

Nellie's eyes lit up as she thought to herself, "Oh my gosh! This IS BLUE ANGEL! THE ONE FROM THE SHEDTIME STORY!" She turned human without thinking too much and she stood beside Oceana's pilot before asking, "May I come up?"

Oceana laughed, knowing where this was already going, she agreed and watched the humanoid switcher climb up and sit on her pilot to talk.

"So you're Blue Angel? Like... from the story?"

"That's me alright, what would you like to know?"

"Didn't that mean SD40 scratch your paint up?"

Oceana laughed and remarked with a proud smile, "No, but I can't say the same about him. I know for sure he got a broken nose that CN never fixed."  
She continued, "Now I have a question for you, little fox eared girl."

Nellie looked worriedly at Oceana, concerned that the question would be about past sins.

"Do you know a Malcolm Goldstein?"

Suddenly, the bespectacled tall guy tapped on Nellie's leg from the right side of the pilot. He smiled warmly at his friend.

Nellie climbed down and gave her injured friend a hug while she exclaimed, "MALCOLM!" She stopped hugging him gently as she looked at his arm.  
"They didn't fix you?"

Malcolm sighed, "They don't have the money to. Do you think Zoey might let me work for BUNX when I get better?"

"Oh my gosh they fired you?" Nellie worriedly remarked, her eyes welling up out of empathy and sympathy for her friendly ex.

Malcolm quelled in a gentle voice, "N-no no, Nellie... It's not so bad since I wasn't taken apart."

Nellie started to cry more at the thought of Malcolm being dead, despite her not having romantic feelings towards him, she still cared about his well being especially since he was her friend.

The moment was interrupted by Oceana's humanoid engineer approaching Nellie silently and standing there.

Nellie jumped a bit as she noticed the mousy brunette beside her.

"I'm sorry that I scared you. I just wanted to see a SW1001," Lydia greeted before looking at Nellie and making some verbal analyses and questions, "Goodness, you're adorable! EMD really did put you together really well if your human vessel reflects your engine vessel. So when did you learn you could turn human? Were you always 5'3"?"

Nellie began wondering if this is how she was to other engines she was awe-struck by. The ginger responded, "I think I figured it out when I was still a child. Back then I was much shorter than.." it clicked in for Nellie, she started looked at Lydia, then at Oceana, then back to Lydia.  
"YOU'RE THE GP30 THAT SAVED BLUE ANGEL!"

Lydia blinked slowly before she responded with a chuckle, "Gracious, no. I've never been a GP30, I would kill to have a cab like that, but no, built a few years too late to have that sexy rounded cab."

Nellie inside her head could hear the sound of glass breaking, that she had been fawning over Jackie way back when thinking that she was one of the siblings of the engine from her favourite fable, and had been subconsciously subservient to a fault out of gratefulness of being rescued. But then again, Nellie wasn't, at all, psychologically well for the last couple years or so, resulting in her doing a LOT of emotion-driven, irrational, unhealthy and dangerous things.  
The pale ginger asked softly, "Would you like to meet a GP30? My best friend and employer is one. And besides, I need to take Malcolm to BUNX so Zoey can help him go over the paperwork."

Lydia looked up at Oceana with her big pleading green eyes. 

"As long as we can have something to eat, I'm happy," the fabled C40-8W responded honestly, her fuel level was quite low and she knew diesel fuel wouldn't cut it.

Nellie smiled and remarked with excitement in her voice, "I'll turn normal, ask for an extended break and then you follow me and I'll show you all my coworkers that are in the yard today."  
She stood on the rails ahead of Oceana, her back turned to the larger diesel and shifted back into her SW1001 form. 

Malcolm climbed up into Nellie's cab with some help from Lydia, and after a short radio confirmation, the four were headed to the GWWD yard to introduce Lydia to some rarer engines while also bringing Malcolm to his new railway so he could be registered and could begin his recovery.

To Be Continued


	11. "Worthless Trash" part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Norfolk Southern begins to tank, Malcolm is shown the door for busting himself up when he was trying to protect Nellie from Fang.  
> With no where to go, Malcolm seeks help from the Canadian friends he has.
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Sera the SD40-2 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Oceana and Sapphirra the GE C40-8Ws are my OC  
> Lydia is my OC as well  
> Jackie the GP30 is the trainsona of EsquimaltNanaimo on DeviantArt

Zoey was sitting at her desk in the GWWD office that once was a station. She was keying up an invoice for CN's persistent rentals of Nellie and trying to decide how much of a service fee to charge for the emotional damaged sustained by Nellie last Wednesday when Tracy rearranged some tanker cars and scolded Nellie for making that mistake as Nellie was unaware of the sabotage.  
The brunette fidgeted with a pencil as she used the calculator on her desk to try to figure out a reasonable amount.

Oceana and Nellie entered the old station, helping Malcolm in, while Lydia followed along, curious to see the GMD GP30 she heard about.

Zoey looked up from her screen to see her best friend, Malcolm, and the two humanoid diesels she didn't know.  
"Malcolm?" The bespectacled woman asked as she stood up, examining him over as she talked, "Why are you still in disrepair?"

"I... It's... well, I need help, Zoey." Malcolm began explaining.

Nellie interrupted explaining what she knew, "Norfolk is tanking so they don't have the money to fix or scrap Malcolm, so they essentially fired him while he was still injured."

Malcolm looked to his friendly SW1001 ex-girlfriend and stated as he looked back to Zoey, "This is indeed true. A-as well as that, I, uh, was thrown out by Sera... so.."

Zoey dropped the pencil she was still holding on to her desk out of surprise.  
"You're a diesel looking for refuge while you heal and possible employment?"

"Correct."  
Malcolm was at the mercy of the diesel who didn't entirely trust him. He stood perfectly still, worried that Zoey would turn him away.

Zoey thought for a minute. She knew that if Malcolm was single, there was a chance that he would go back to Nellie and Zoey would remain alone forever, but she knew from seeing it how awful it was for a diesel to be in disrepair and without a real railway to work on. Zoey thought back to her promise she made that if Malcolm needed help she'd help him, after the Dash 8.5 saved Nellie a little whiles back. The brunette made her decision, she took out a set of forms from her desk drawer and asked, "Malcolm Goldstein, if I hire you, do you promise to try your best at what you do when you're able to be leased out?"

The tall brunette man nodded. He responded, his baritone voice having a pleading tone, "I will do whatever it takes."

Zoey smiled and held out a hand to Malcolm, responding warmly, "Welcome to BUNX, Mr. Goldstein. I just need you to fill out some forms with me and we can get you Canadian Engine-Citizenship in an hour so Angie can drive you to the hospital to have your broken bones looked at."

Malcolm smiled, he felt his eyes begin to tear up a little, he would be able to work for a company that he knew treated engines like humans.

Lydia interrupted with a question, "Zoey? Are you one of the GP30s made in Canada?"

Zoey looked up at the mousey brunette standing by Malcolm, she smiled a bit as she looked at who the humanoid GP35 was with. She responded, "I didn't know Malcolm knew Blue Angel and the noble '35."

Oceana chuckled slightly, "We gave him a lift up here because I wanted to see my sister. Do you know where she is?"

"Sapphirra?" Zoey asked before checking out the window to see if Angie and Sapph were walking around together. Before the humanoid C4O-8W could answer her, Zoey stated, "Because they're outside right now for their lunch break walk."

"Thank you, Zoey, it's been wonderful to meet you and to be able to deliver Malcolm here safely, but I'll be outside talking to my sister," Oceana stated in her soft voice before walking outside.

Lydia began to follow when she was stopped by Zoey.

"Hold on a second, '35, I hear rumours you're a foamer,"

The humanoid GP35 laughed and responded, "It's true."

Zoey rummaged through her draw of her desk and handed Lydia a stack of BUNX postcards with the engines on them. She suggested friendily as the humanoid diesel accepted the cards, "I think you'd like these."

Lydia went to the side of Zoey's desk and gave Zoey a hug before letting go of the humanoid GP30 and leaving while exclaiming happily, "THANK YOUUUUU!"

Zoey laughed and looked at Nellie before shrugging.

Malcolm asked curiously, "So, uh, c-could we fill out the documents?"

Zoey got out a pen and began to help Malcolm become a Canadian Engine-Citizen as well as the first Dash 8.5 to join BUNX.

To Be Continued


	12. The Spooky-Loving Bored One known as Renee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Renee Arc, where a new character joins BUNX, 
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/missluckychan29/art/DD-Renee-the-GP39-2R-BNSF-LIVERY-833977502
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Ferdinand "Ferny" the ES44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC

Marina had helped escort Star, Lazuli, and Ferny on their October hang-out time. The three kids were getting back to the BNSF yard, they all were in Marina's cab. Soon Zoey was going to arrive to take Marina back to Canadian Pacific and Star and Lazuli back to BUNX.

"That was so much fun, Marina! Thanks for being with us to help us today." the ES44 remarked cheerfully, he was happy he got to spend time with his friends as they had promised to him.

Marina came to a stop at the end of yard, she said to Ferny, "No problem. It's been years since I've been to the Museum and the Science Gallery, and it was great to see Countess again. I didn't know she lived in the VIA Station."

Zoey approached from the North end of the yard, she stopped promptly as she noticed a BNSF diesel hiding among the grain hoppers.

"I'm so fucking BOOOOOOORED!" the diesel whined, her compressor kicked on out of annoyance from her situation.

The blue GP30 looked over the orange diesel. Her eyes widened as she noticed the cab shape, there was ANOTHER engine who looked to be a GP30, right there, in front of her.

The dark green eyed BNSF engine looked up to Zoey silently for a second and asked, "Do you want something?"

The GMD GP30 blinked in surprise before she answered, "I want to know why you're so bored, I want to know if I can help."

The freckled EMD GP39-2R huffed, "Every fucking day is the same shit. Switch cars, refuel, switch cars, refuel, switch cars, sleep. Wash, rinse, repeat. If I do one more day of this, I swear I'm going to break my yard manager's nose."

Zoey asked, "So... you're discontent?"

"Does a cactus shit in the desert?"

Zoey didn't answer that because it didn't make sense to her.  
She was about to head to pick up her little sister Lazuli, her half sister Marina, and Star, when she was stopped by the BNSF diesel numbered 2747.

"Whoa, whoa, back it up there, blue-by... You work at BUNX... The company run by diesels for the ethical treatment of diesels?"

Zoey reversed a bit to respond to the EMD GP39-2R she tried to pass by, "Yes, I own the company. I'm Zoey Krolik."

"Well, hole-E-shit. I didn't think I was in that part of the country."

Zoey sighed, "Look, Miss, I need to pick up my workers and take them back to the yard. It was nice meeting you,"

The diesel interrupted again, "Renee. I'm Renee Cindy Cooper."  
Renee watched at Zoey left to pick up the younger diesels, noticing the human staff had left for the day.  
She hatched a plan in her mind and decided to leave the others alone for now.

Zoey had dropped off Marina at the McPhilips Station Casino before she began her journey back with Lazuli and Star to the GWWD yard. She wasn't in a hurry so she began to trundle along, talking with the humanoid engines in her cab.

"We had a great time, sis! I can't wait to go trick or treating with Ferny and Star," Lazuli proclaimed.

Star looked over to her girlfriend and added, "Only two and a half more weeks until then."  
The humanoid AC44 glanced through Zoey's side window and noticed a bit back an orange BNSF diesel following them. She asked quietly to Zoey, "Hey, we're being followed."

Zoey picked up her pace, hoping to clear a signal ahead so they could get some distance between whomever was following her.   
She cleared into the yard easily, losing the diesel who was following her. 

The three got back to the GWWD yard and returned to their humanoid forms so they could go in the station to have some hot chocolate to unwind. 

Nellie and Ellie had gotten back to the yard after a long day of being yelled at while at the CN yards. Neither of them seemed happy.

The BNSF GP30 approached the gate and asked to the two who were just switching forms, "Hey, is this BUNX?"

Ellie was the first to turn around, she looked at the EMD GP30 and asked, "... Who are you? Are you a GMD like my diesel senpai?"

Nellie turned to face the diesel and was surprised to see whom she thought was a GP30, she internally chuckled at the thought of dating this one and seeing how badly this one would go, even if she didn't want to.

Renee was taken aback by the now humanoid SW7, she laughed and responded, "I have my lamp in the right place for it, so I guess so."

"Woooooahhh!" Ellie responded naively, "I thought they only made two! Anyways..." she looked at Renee and inquired in her innocent way, "Why don't you have glasses?"

Nellie scolded her sister slightly, "Ellie, you can't ask her that." 

"It's ok. I have my contacts in today. I prefer glasses anyways. I guess that's what happens when you play too many videogames, your eye sight becomes more, you know," Renee explained, she had this feeling that she shouldn't say curse words around the blonde one, since 'just don't' was essentially Renee's personal rule about cursing around children.  
"Anyways, I'm here to see Zoey about being hired."

Nellie shrugged and allowed the EMD GP39-2R into the yard, not seeing a problem with letting in the stranger.

"So fox ears, what's your name?" the GP30 asked before she began focusing deeply to shapeshift.

Nellie turned around to see the BNSF engine change forms into a copper haired girl, not much taller than she was, wearing a white knitted toque and the standard BNSF black jeans and orange t-shirt. She responded, "I'm Nellie Dawn Joliet." She gestured with her open hand towards her chosen sibling, "And this is Ellie Miller-Dawson. We might not have the same last names, but we're sisters."

"Different builds and batches, but we're close as if we were made at the same time," Ellie proclaimed with a giggle.

Renee introduced herself as she slightly bowed as she took off her white toque, "I'm Renee Cindy Cooper, but some people just call me 'Trouble'."

The three headed to the office of the GWWD yard.

Zoey took a sip of her Nestle hot chocolate before she looked up to see who entered. She saw Nellie enter first, noticing a sadness in Nellie's eyes, she blurted out in a funny tone, "PUDDING!"

Nellie moved out of the way, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. She chuckled as she began to calm down, "Thanks Zoe, Hahahahahaaaa, I needed that."

The brunette nearly dropped her drink when she saw Ellie had brought in the humanoid formed BNSF diesel she saw earlier.  
"You again?"

Renee internally took note of Nellie's laughter over the word pudding before she addressed the GP30 in the room, "Yes, I want to apply to work here."

Zoey had a strange feeling about Renee, but, Renee was a 30, like her. GP30s were rare and amazing, she couldn't bring herself to say no. Hesitantly, Zoey went to her desk to get out the necessary paperwork for Renee to join the roster.

Renee, without hesitation, reached to the ironed on patch on her orange shirt and peeled it off, glad that she didn't have to work for BNSF.  
She took out her disposable contacts, disposed of them, and put on her glasses to be able to read the paperwork better before she'd sign anything.  
Renee glanced over her shoulder to Nellie and said with a laugh, "That could mean you and me will be coworkers soon, Puddin' Pop."

Nellie snickered slightly and clarified, still humoured by the nickname, "It's Nellie."

The green eyes of the humanoid EMD GP39-2R scanned over the document, muttering to herself as she read, "Not property but I'm encouraged to do the work I'm assigned, sick days allowed, requires a registered BUNX emblem either the rabbit symbol or crocodile symbol, and or letters... any misconduct or abuse to coworkers is taken seriously..." She looked up to Zoey before signing, remarking happily, "Sounds simple, I can handle this."

Zoey laughed slightly before looking over the paperwork before she scanned the paper to send it into the Canadian Engine Citizenship and the RTC to confirm she had a new employee, "You start tomorrow, Renee. Hopefully this line of work won't bore you."

Renee responded cockily, "I'll be here bright and early, with that rabbit symbol you require." She turned around to exit, waved once and walked out of the station.

"She's going to be an interesting coworker..." Zoey sighed, concerned for how things would turn out.

To Be Continued


	13. Rainy's New Bunkmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Renee Arc, where a new character joins BUNX,
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/missluckychan29/art/DD-Renee-the-GP39-2R-BNSF-LIVERY-833977502
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Ferdinand "Ferny" the ES44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC

The copper haired GP39-2R walked out of the office of the yard that was housed in the old station and began to assess the yard she would be staying in.  
She wandered past some clawed up gondola cars and stared at the claw marks.  
"Holy shit, I wonder who did that," she remarked to herself before she was caught off guard by the sound of music.  
She listened closely, able to recognize the melody, but she couldn't remember what song it was. She began to walk towards where the music came from, listening carefully until she got closer.

The melody was Bohemian Rhapsody. The music was still near the start.

The orange and black clad woman approached an old baggage car for the GWWD and climbed up the ladder of it to find where the music was coming from. She stood at the door of the car and pushed the door open.

Rainy was laying on his sofa listening to the song being played on his record player. He glanced up at the woman and asked, "May I help you?"

Renee's jaw dropped as she saw Rainy.  
"DAMN! I've never seen a fully corrupted diesel."

Rainy mocked back playfully, "I've never been given such a compliment from a rather basic BNSF."

Renee looked around the area closest to Rainy, some Queen posters and Jurassic Park posters were on the walls, he had a desk where his record player was, the couch he laid upon was made like a bed, and above the desk the record player was on was a mirror. She looked down and there was a rug with faux dino foot prints on it. She remarked with a nod, "Good tastes."

The crocodilian tail of Rainy lightly lifted out of curiosity, he inquired, "How about you, Missy? I'm sure you're not as cultured as I am." He laughed a bit, "Kidding, I'm a total WHORE for Freddy Mercury."

"Queen's a bit sell-out-y for me, but I can dig their earlier stuff. I'm more into Nirvana, Pink Floyd, some indie bands... But if I'm a whore for anything, it's not music."

"Is it Starbucks?"

"Ew! No! I'm not a basic bitch. I LIVE for Halloween."

Rainy stood up and shut off his record player. He remarked with a smile, "You are a woman of excellent tastes, additionally, I'm sure you'll get along great with Nellie, she LOVES Halloween too... mostly just for wearing a costume and the sweets."

"That English Accent you have, I know it's likely not authentic, but I dig the aesthetic," Renee chuckled before she held out her hand to shake the hand of her new coworker. She introduced herself politely, "Renee Cooper. Or you can call me Trouble."

Rainy shook Renee's hand and greeted, "Rainy Oleander Locke-Wood. I'm fine with being called either Rainy or Oleander. Charmed to meet you."

Renee teased, "So, you seeing anyone, Ole?"

"What? You want a taste of crocodile? You'll have to wait to see if Piper ditches me for another boy-toy."

The humanoid GP39 was taken aback.  
"Wait... Ah shit, you're a guy... Fuck, that majorly sucks...."

"Excuse me, did you fucking think I was a woman?" Rainy coughed in surprise.

Renee rebutted playfully, "Uh, yeah, look at your shiny gator scales, and also you have a Karen bob."

Rainy burned back snarkily, "Well well now, first of all, I'm a crocodile, and secondly, don't diss my hair, you look like me when I'm overdue for a trim."

The two looked at each other for a few seconds before both bursting into laughter.

"You know what, Rains... You're alright."

Rainy sat on his couch and asked, "So, what brings you here then, Trouble?"

Renee sat down next to Rainy, explaining, "What do you think brings a flaming lesbian to BUNX, I got bored of working for a big corp and now I wanna work here."

"Well, I mean, I know this is really forward, but I have some extra space here and a cot that doesn't work with my tail, would you want to bunk at the other end of the car?"

Renee looked down to the end of the baggage car to the plain cot with the plain white linens. She looked Rainy in the eyes, shrugged slightly and responded, "I mean, sure, I don't wanna sleep outside when it pours, that shit sucks."

Rainy held out his scaly hand as he asked, "Bunk mates?"

Renee shook his hand and smiled while responding happily, "Definitely! I'm gonna call up my buddy to bring my shit, make my little space here more of a home."

Rainy looked at his phone and asked to his new bunk mate, "While we wait, wanna go raid the Halloween store?"

"Does a cactus shit in the desert?!" Renee asked excitedly.

"Yes it does!" Rainy responded with a laugh.

The two hurried out of the baggage car to make it to the bus stop so they could go shop at the pop up Halloween store.

To Be Continued


	14. Renee's First Day on the Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Renee Arc, where a new character joins BUNX, 
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Ferdinand "Ferny" the ES44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Tracy the EMD GP40 is an OC I have

Renee awoke to her crocodilian baggage car neighbour looming over her, smiling with his sharp fangs.  
She laughed as she greeted him, "Ooooh I'm so fucking scaaaared," before she burst into laughter.

Rainy remarked with a chuckle as he leaned against the wall below a string of white faerie lights, "I've always wanted to do that."

"So, you gonna help me today?"

Rainy slunk over to his side of the train car and laid down on his sofa and remarked, "I'm gonna sleep. I've been rearranging the yard since 10 last night."

"Fuck off, I'm not gonna work alone."

Rainy raised the middle clawed finger on his right hand and covered up with his grey throw blanket.

Renee looked at herself in the mirror she hung by her bed before she put on her toque and headed out of the traincar. She was already in her work clothes, with a black iron rabbit head silhouette over where her BNSF iron on used to be, with pale blue letters of BUNX painted onto the patch with fabric paint.  
The copper haired girl slid down the railings of the baggage car's end stairs and leisurely strolled to the engine gate of the yard, waiting to get her work instructions for the day before hopping onto some tracks and changing into her engine form.

Zoey instructed contently, "So, it's Wednesday. That being said, that means work swap today." The humanoid brunette turned her attention to the former Norfolk Southern engine, "Malcolm, I'm getting you to do Star and Lazuli's work for the day. Picking up fuel rations for GWWD, while I pick up the humanoid fuel rations to ensure we have an alternative fuel source for those of us who prefer it."

Renee studied the Dash 8.5 and was surprised that this little railway could afford him.

"No worries, Zoe. I can handle it." Malcolm responded suavely.

Zoey directed her attention to her GP20-ECO younger sister and the AC44 and instructed, "You two are on a longer run than usual. Angie and Annanova will help you get some fuel rations up to Thompson, Manitoba. I know you two can do it, despite it seeming daunting. But if you start to feel tired, take a humanoid break and have some caffeine. It'll help subside the exhaustion."

Lazuli looked, her green eyes sparkling gleefully as she looked to her girlfriend, "We get to go on a northern expedition!!!"

Star's engine rumbled blissfully with excitement.  
Angie laughed as she peeked out of the AC44's cab, "These bubbalas are in good hands."

Zoey nodded and then turned her attention to Nellie, "My best friend, you don't have to fret. Today you get to do my work over at CP, helping switch around the semi-retired engines and those in need of repairs."

"Bless your heart, you're a saint!"

The brown haired girl smiled as she looked to her latest employee, Renee. She had something slightly dastardly up her sleeve. She stated, "And you, Renee. I want you to do Nellie's work."

"Okay, sounds easy."

Zoey remarked, "Practice Diesel Duty for the students of the CN course."

Nellie looked over to the new diesel who still was in the BNSF colours, before softly warning, "Be careful of Tracy. She's not very friendly."

The GP39-2R blinked back in surprise, this diesel didn't know her but was concerned for her safety. She remarked happily, "Don't worry. I've dealt with some major shit bags in my day. I can handle some practice yard bitch."

The diesels were all sent on duty to go do their assigned jobs.

Renee rolled down the line, ending up at the Symmington Yard shops.  
The GP39 looked around at the rows of diesels lined up waiting for the fueling station.  
Her eyes happened upon a Blue Devil she recognized, causing her to greet, "Hey, Ocea, what's shaking."

"HEY! Long time no see, Renny. Haven't seen ya in a while," the fabled GE responded contently before her girlfriend engineer interjected from the cab window, "Hey Renee! How'd things work out with my sister down in Duluth?"

"Not so great, Lydia, by the time I asked her out, she was seeing some jerk from Illinois Central."

Sympathetically, the humanoid GP35 responded, "Oof, that's rough. Sorry, Ren."

"Eh, you know what they say though. Canada is the land of milk and honey for a lesbian,"

Oceana laughed slightly, "So so true."

Renee asked curiously, "So where abouts is the practice yard?"

Oceana held in a snicker as her girlfriend answered, "You missed it, try heading TOWARDS Transcona. You'll find it if you go past the shops and head towards the rusting remains of Scotty."

"Ah damn, Wiscotty is dead? Fucking Evil Double H," Renee cursed before she started back slowly in reverse. She remarked as she left, "Smell you lovebirds later," jokingly before she made her way in reverse to the practice yards of CN.  
After a short traverse to just beyond the Transcona Shops, Renee had reached the practice yard where she was spotted by the EMD GP40 who was already waiting.

Tracy the GP40 responded with one eyebrow raised in surprise, "You're not Nellie."

Renee laughed and responded, "Nah, I'm Renee, but I'm new to the co she's from and I got assigned here." The GP39-2R stopped close to the fence where she saw some humans waiting and talking about their tasks for the day. She looked to her sibling from another batch and asked, "So what are we doing anyways?"

"We just let the humans drive us for a while and remind them if they get confused as to what the tasks are, anyways, my name is Tracy," Tracy remarked before looking over Renee and stating with a laugh, "You look like a pumpkin."

Renee replied with a jovial comeback, "How's that a problem? I love Halloween."

"Well, you have good tastes. Personally I like Christmas a little better, but Halloween is great." 

Renee laughed back and responded in her normally chill voice, "Yeah, but that doesn't bother me. Halloween is my favourite holiday," as she the students approached her and entered her cab, she didn't really care.

Tracy, once the rail students entered her cab, rearranged some practice gondola cars with her set of student engineers, remarked, "I, myself, like Halloween, but Christmas is better... But don't tell Jack Skellington."

"Ah, I see you're a Burton fan."

"Nah, just Nightmare. It's the superior movie."

Renee felt slightly insulted, since she believed that Betelgeuse was superior to Nightmare, and didn't know how to respond, she felt partially hurt that this diesel was telling her her favourite was invalid but just rolled with it as she asked, "Any other movies you like?"

Tracy remarked, "Harry Potter is also A-may-zing!"

"I agree with you entirely on that. It's really awesome," Renee continued to chatter, "So you said you like Christmas?"

"Yeah. Christmas is like my fucking thing. I work part time at Michaels during then. I watch Nightmare and A Christmas Story, I see some of my family who passes through, and I still get presents from Santa. Normally some sambuca or vodka. Once I got the Leg Lamp from Christmas Story."

Renee stared blankly, from her recollection Santa Fe Claus wasn't real. She responded with a smile and said, "Nice!"

"Wanna grab a drink at lunch, you seem pretty alright."

Renee remarked, "Nah, I do my best work sober," in order to avoid drinking, she didn't want to get fired and be sent back to BNSF.

Soon the humans were divided up and the two diesels were being used as learning tools.

Renee and Tracy still radioed back and forth when they could during work.

Tracy radioed as she was switching some tanker cars, "Hey you're not that bad at switching and reminding your drivers."

"Hey well, I mean EMD built me like this for a reason I guess," the former BNSF diesel radioed back with a laugh while she was pushing some old rusty mill gondolas.

Tracy remarked over the radio, "Yeah, you're an improvement from Nellie."

"Cuz I'm a GP unit?"

"Nah, Nellie's really... what's the word... useless and ridiculous."

Renee was surprised at this statement. The little red and black switcher she encountered the day before seemed so nice and actually clever, maybe a little sad, but Nellie seemed ok. Renee responded over her radio, "Colour me curious. I don't even know her."

"Well ya see... she's DENSE. She'll get orders and then boom, she might forget them, or like she'll get 'overwhelmed' and panic because of work, like grow up, this is the real world. Hell, Nellie is so incompetent that she thinks the speed limit is a suggestion and goes SLOWER."

Renee didn't think that sounded right at all, Nellie didn't seem that stupid, she radioed back, "Okay, but she's just a switcher, Trace. She's not supposed to be fast."

"Yeah, but if you're geared to go 50 miles per hour, do it."

In her mind, the GP39-2R was thinking about SW1001s, she knew their max speed was 65 mph but she didn't want to correct Tracy. If Nellie wanted to switch slow that was ok in her books. Renee asked, "But doesn't taking your time a bit help you do it right?"

"You'd think. I mean, she CLAIMS I'm upsetting her, but really the real world is far harsher. She wouldn't last a DAY switching in a real yard," Tracy mocked with a smile. She sneered with a smirk, "She's a snowflake who doesn't know how to be an engine."

Renee couldn't do this and pretended her radio was having interference before sliding her radio's frequency to just the practice yard manager's feed. This was horrible that Nellie was intentionally being treated like garbage while at work. She decided when she got back that she'd ask Nellie herself what was going on, without saying much of what she heard.

To Be Continued


	15. A New Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the Renee Arc, where a new character joins BUNX,
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Ferdinand "Ferny" the ES44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Tracy the EMD GP40 is an OC I have

Renee arrived back at the GWWD yard after her day of doing work Nellie normally did. The GP39-2R looked about the yard to see if she could spot the royal blue GP30 or the SW1001. She approached the GWWD engine numbered 202.  
"Hey, you know where Nellie is?" The former BNSF diesel inquired.

Red responded as they opened their eyes from trying to take a short nap, "... I was trying to rest."

"Sorry, fam. I didn't know."

Red teased in a friendly tone, "Haha, no biggie. Anyways, I think she got back about 30-ish minutes ago. She's probably in the office having a break."

Renee focused deep and shifted down to her humanoid form.  
"Thanks, fam. Oh shit, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Red."

Renee called back as she began to head for the old station, "See ya later, Red fam."

Nellie was playing a game on her phone, renaming the little critters in her in-game garden after her friends and after flowers. She heard the door open and looked up.   
"Hi... umm... I'm sorry, I don't remember your name."

Renee wanted to joke about how that hurt, but she remarked in a blunt but friendly way, "Oh, it's Renee. Trust me, I sometimes have trouble with names too."

Nellie responded, "I'm Nellie, I'm not sure if I introduced myself yesterday. I'm sorry."

Renee sat on a wooden chair across from the couch and asked, "So, how was your day?"

"It was actually alright. I didn't..." Nellie stopped herself, she didn't want to say more of what she was about to say, "have any issues helping at CP... How was your day?"

Renee could tell Nellie wanted to say more, but Renee knew more or less what was going on. She responded, "Well... it went alright, but one thing I have an issue with is Tracy. She... she doesn't have a lot of positives to say about you, Nellie."

"A lot of them are true..."

The bespectacled auburn soothed to the more lighter ginger, "No, fuck she's just full of herself. You're doing the best you can. And besides, I know you've been through a lot."

Nellie froze, she felt her pale grey skin go even more pale grey out of worry.  
"O-oh?"

"You stood up to Fang. He's the biggest fucking dongle on the BNSF roster and honestly, all of us girls hated him. Thanks for doing what management wouldn't let any of us do."

Nellie was relieved, she remarked, "The issues didn't stop there, but yeah... I couldn't take it anymore... I lost it and went feral on him."

Renee asked with a chuckle, "Is it true ol' Jeffy put Fang in an steel nightgown?"

"Jeffy?"

"Yeah, that old Norfolk who looks like Jeff Goldblum."

Nellie laughed a bit, she realized why she was a fan of Dr. Ian Malcolm now, as she compared in her head the similarities between Malcolm Goldstein and Ian Malcolm. She responded, "I didn't know Fang died. I thought he was demoted from the roster so much that he has to work as a human at Walmart in Arizona."

Renee laughed, "That sounds like a fitting punishment."

"Not really, he gets a discount at the store so he can get cheap Unicorn Friendz merch... As long as he's never allowed near me again though, I'm at least thankful."

The humanoid GP39-2R inquired, "So, wanna see my bunk?"

"Huh?" Nellie asked, she looked at Renee sideways slightly.

"I live in Rainy's Baggage Car so like, wanna go hang out there?"

Nellie stood up and went to the break area and asked, "Want any snacks?"

"Does a cactus shit in the desert? Fuck yeah!"

The humanoid SW1001's fox ears perked up before she grabbed a bag of salt and vinegar chips and a few cans of 7up. She responded with a giggle as she walked in the direction Renee was heading now, "Lead the way, Renee!"

The two headed out of the station and over to the north-most track of the yard before climbing into the train car.

Rainy, who was now awake, was watching on his laptop Jurassic World 2, laying on his couch under his warm fuzzy blanket. He paused the movie as the girls entered by him and asked, "Remember to close the door, you two are letting in a draft."

Nellie was about to apologize when Renee remarked with a smile, "Oh please, Mr. Coldblooded, it's nothing you can't handle."

Nellie peeked at Rainy's computer and responded, "That's a good movie."

"I agree, Nellie. I love the Indoraptor, he's so me. You know?"

Nellie looked at the indoraptor on screen as well as Rainy and laughed as she responded, "You two could be brothers."

"Yes, however if that were true, I'd be the better brother. I'm far healthier than him since I'm a diesel, and he's just a Frankensteinian beast who just knows to kill."

Nellie followed Renee to the other side of the baggage car, looking at the decorations and faerie lights.  
"Wow! You must love Halloween and music!"

"Well, I mean, it's the best holiday."

Nellie remarked, "I know Christmas is ok, but it's also really depressing, so yeah, I agree, Halloween is better. It's harder to be depressed when you're dressed up and eating sweets."

Renee had a feeling she and Nellie would be friends. She asked, "So what do you wanna do?"   
The humanoid GP39-2R handed Nellie a bowl for the potato chips as she got out her laptop.

"I don't know. What games do you h...?" She noticed on Renee's shelf a black box with some familiar white words. She stopped herself and blurted out, "Cards Against Humanity?"

"Yep! I bet you'd be pretty good at it."

"I'll give it a shot."

Renee called to Rainy, "Hey fang-face! Wanna play something fucking hilarious?"

Rainy paused his movie, closed his laptop and walked over, wearing his blanket like a cloak. He responded with a smile as he pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat down, "Sure!"

To Be Continued


	16. Time Together, Time Apart

Zoey was waiting for Nellie, as the two had planned to watch Rocketman together after work, but Nellie wasn't home yet.  
She took out her phone and keyed into the messenger app, "Hey, Nel, where are ya?" and sent it, waiting a bit for a response.  
The brunette looked down at her bowl of popcorn and was worried since Nellie likely had a good day at work but she wasn't home yet.

The humanoid SW1001 heard her phone make a sound as she set down an answer card of 'Winnie the Pooh's buttcrack' before she checked her phone. 

Renee howled with laughter at the response.

Rainy read with a posh British chuckle, "Here is the church, and here is the steeple, open the doors and see Winnie the Pooh's buttcrack," before laughing loudly.

Nellie asked in a calm tone after reading her text, "Hey, guys, it's been fun but I gotta go home now... I'm sorry for ruining the fun."

Renee responded reassuringly in her friendly yet laid back tone, "Pfft, it's no biggie, Puddin' Pop, we can play again some other time."

The fox-eared girl let out a snicker before remarking, "My name's Nellie."

"I know, but I know the word puddin' makes you laugh so I'm gonna call you that whenever I think you'd need a chuckle."  
The former BNSF humanoid diesel moved over so Nellie could get up and go, she queried, "So, where do YOU live?"

Rainy responded as he began to help put away the cards, "Over at Zoey's down the road."

"You bunk at Carrot's place?"

"HEY!" Nellie shouted a bit before she calmed and responded, "She's sensitive about the rabbit ears."

Renee blurted out, "It was a joke," and was about to say something Nellie could've taken the wrong way before Rainy gave her a warning look and Renee explained, "but I know how you feel, I mean, yeah I razz Ol Scaly over here but if someone said shit about him I'd smack them down."

Nellie felt better now and as she headed out she turned back and waved to Rainy and Renee before she began her journey home after texting to Zoey, "Sorry about that. Be home soon."

Zoey looked up at the door after 10 minutes to see her best friend enter, she stood up to greet her friend, arms out ready for a hug.

The humanoid SW1001 sprinted lightly up to her brunette best friend and gave her a tight hug before apologizing, "I'm sorry I'm late. Renee invited me over to play cards."

The humanoid GMD GP30 was a little jealous but she responded, "I'm happy you're making more friends, but don't forget about me."

Nellie hugged Zoey super tightly and laughed, "NEVER EVER!" with a big smile on her face before she let go of her tall friend.  
The fox eared girl asked as she sat down on the couch where Zoey was waiting, "So, Elton time?"

Zoey plopped down on the couch beside her friend, picked up the remote and pressed play before she stated happily, "Definitely!"

To Be Continued


	17. A Different Assignment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a small break from the Renee Arc, here's a chapter about Nellie

Nellie's work for Thursday wasn't her normal work, she was doing something a bit special today and was excited as she got off the bus at the Assiniboine Park.  
She took the park's bus around by the playground and crossed the road over to where she was assigned, despite it being work free of charge, Nellie liked coming here.

A middle aged Greek fellow was sweeping up leaves around a tiny train station and he looked up to the humanoid diesel and stated with a laugh, "You're late, steam killer."

Nellie responded back, "Come on, Tim, I'm not that bad." The humanoid SW1001 walked over to the conductor before she tried to offer to help sweep up the leaves.

"Nah, I'm good, I just wanted someone to watch the station while I went to go get the coal order since the Sticker Lady isn't around today," Conductor Tim stated before he focused back to his 2 foot gauge steam engine who was at the station before going to top up her water supply.

Nellie walked to the south-west end of the small station to talk to her little steam friend.

"Hello there, Nellie!" The shrill and child like voice of the miniature 4-4-0 greeted, her green eyes on her funnel-placed face looked friendly and adorable, shone like two big emeralds.

"Hey there, Leland," the humanoid SW1001 remarked happily, "How's summer been? Sorry I haven't visited enough, I've been dealing with some rough s....stuff," Nellie censored herself since Leland, despite being 56 years old, resembled and sounded like a child.

The child-like steam engine giggled as she said, "Nellie, you're allowed to say shit, just not when there's kids around."

"You're a kid though!"

Leland focused deeply and turned into her humanoid form. The little steam engine was now about as tall as a 6 year old with skin as grey as ash, hair as black as coal, a pretty green dress with a yellow sash as well as some black Sunday-best flats as well as a necklace that resembled her embellishments around her boiler lamp, and she had the same nose as her human 'big brother' Tim. She remarked with a giggle, "I'm 56 years old and I'm not a child, even if I look like one."  
Leland was as fiery as ever since she had been through so much and nothing seemed to get in her way of doing the best she could for a little Pennsylvanian steamer.  
She sat on the watertower platform and asked as she patted the concrete beside her, "So what's all happened, Nellie?"

Tim resumed sweeping leaves, letting the two chatter a bit.

"Well this summer was... crazy, to say the least."

Leland responded as her diesel friend sat beside her, "That's like my summer last year, I thought I was going to die."

"Same, to be honest," Nellie admitted bleakly before she began, "So first off, Zoey just up and leaves one day because she's being harassed which lead me to almost dying at my own hands, but I had my fuel tank pumped and was okay. After that, I met this other diesel and Zoey got jealous and then I moved in with Zoey, all the while, the Missing Mercury was tormenting me and even physically assaulted me a few times... I THOUGHT I was making amends with my ex, only for whom I thought to be my best friend to turn on me and both of them isolated me an..."

Before Nellie could continue, Conductor Tim butted in slightly, "That doesn't sound like something a real friend would even do."

Nellie explained, "And I THINK they were maybe radio dating at the time....."

Conductor Tim asked, "You still writing in your spare time?"

"Sometimes why?"

He stated with a laugh, "Write about the two of them falling off a mountain and into the ocean or something, be symbolic and write them out of your life."

Nellie didn't know what to do with this advice and just continued to Leland, "That was the least of my worries though, I ended up almost dragged to Hell but Zoey, Angie, and Rainy saved me."

The young girl looking humanoid engine asked, "Who are those other two?" as she fidgeted slightly with the buckles on her shoes to make sure they were tight.

"I'll bring them by in the spring sometime, but they work at BUNX now, and we got a new worker named Renee, she used to be BNSF."

Tim queried curiously, "What, no steam on the team?"

Nellie explained, "That's because a jackass named Hunter Harrison decided to make anti-steam legislation to enforce that no steam engines are allowed to run on open lines in Canada, just only shortlines and preservations. It irks me because Countess isn't allowed to leave that museum without being humanoid."

A voice of a middle aged woman responded with a snicker, "It's why I and Walshaert aren't really allowed out of our cages often."

Leland jumped up excitedly and ran over to the source of the voice.

A tall and slightly muscular woman with half glasses, a conductors cap, ankle boots, a torn up overall dress, and a messy pixie cut was seen.

"ROCKYYYYYY!" Leland exclaimed before running up to the woman.

Rockelle got down to the level of the little 4-4-0 and gave her a big hug before lifting the littler humanoid engine onto her shoulders and walking with her over to Conductor Tim. Rockelle asked, "So, Timothy, how's it been?"

"The summer wasn't the best so business wasn't the best but it was better than last year." Tim said before he excused himself to go down the road to meet the coal delivery guy.

Rockelle helped the little steamer down before she looked over to Nellie and called to the humanoid diesel, "Hey, you, newbie, what railway you from? You look like a CN."

Nellie remarked as she stood up, "I used to be CN, but now I'm BUNX, we're kind of small, don't know if you heard about it. My dispatcher is Zoey Krolik."

Rockelle climbed through the train cars to talk to Nellie, asking, "Zoey... Krolik? I know of a Zoey L, do you think it's the same Zoey but married?"

"Not sure... But the Zoey I know isn't married or even dating."

"Brunette shoulder length curly hair, chocolate brown eyes, pale skin, glasses, freckles?"

Nellie remembered back to the photo album at Zoey's place and responded, "She used to yeah. She looks different now." The SW1001 took her phone out of her pocket and showed Rocky the picture of the now brilliant young woman clad in blue with the long flowing brown and blue ponytail.

"Whoa! That's Mil and Sandy's kid now? Damn I feel old," Rockelle laughed, also noticing Nellie as she zoomed the photo out a bit, "Wow, she must be really tall now too!"  
Rockelle checked her watch as it started to beep. She handed the phone back to Nellie and stated, "Ah shit, back to the cage... But get her to come by sometime."

"I will." Nellie remarked before she watched the humanoid Mountaineer steamer begin to jog away into the woods, unphased by the thick trees and such.

Leland looked to the train cars and remarked, "I guess I gotta get back to work too." before she ran back to her spot on the rails and changed back into her engine form.

Nellie noticed some people looking to ride the train approaching and she got beside the ticket booth, ready to help with however she could with the Assiniboine Park Railroad

To Be Continued


	18. Scary Stories- Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Arc within an Arc?! What does it mean!?  
> It means... I don't know, I just wanna write some Rainy Lore
> 
> So this little bit is gonna be about our favourite crocodilian-SD40

Renee told, in her voice, "The first RS3 tried to run, her humanoid legs no longer able to carry her properly. She made it a block more before her insides that ached became unbearable."  
She made her voice more ominous, "She had run so far from the scrapper's yard, only to seek refuge in a garden of posies. The sunlight shone upon her white skin and platinum waves." Renee emulated a pained Montreal accented voice, "I... I cannot run any further... I must rest, and resume in the night."   
The humanoid GP39 finished her story with a grim voice, "As she closed her stunning pink eyes, she didn't realize it was the last time she would ever open them... Donna didn't make it, the beautiful white morning star of the RS3s, had been snuffed out.... THE END..."

Star sniffled and wiped her eyes, "That wasn't a horror story... that was just sad."

Lazuli asked worriedly to her sister that sat beside her, "Marina, did Donna actually die like that?"

Marina didn't want to answer that question, opting for the answer of, "While she's no longer around, I am pretty sure she lived past her scrap date and then had a heart attack like how most humanoids tend to pass away."

Rainy scoffed from the end of the table in the break room of the GWWD office, "You call THAT a scary story? It sounds more like a standard Hans Christian Anderson story. Please, I know a good story."

The two adolescent humanoid diesels piped up, pleading excitedly, "Tell us, Rainy! Tell us!"

Rainy smirked and responded, "You suuure you little girlies want to know?"

Renee snickered at the thought, wondering how her roommate would come up with something better or tell any fable that was known of to be scary.

Rainy remarked, "Well... let me begin with telling you, what I am about to tell you is entirely true. All of it. From start to end, I am speaking the truth, as this happened to me."  
He cleared his throat and opened his crocodilian jaws as he spoke, "It happened after I traded in my multimark for a set of stripes back in '04..."

Rainy was new to CNR and was a diligent worker for the Transcona Yards. He liked being CP but he had always admired the shining stripes of his siblings at CN, and now he finally had a set of his own. On this sunny day, when he rolled into the shops for a check-over, he saw a new poster.

"Well hello, Ollie" the diesel maintenance man stated. 

"Morning, Doc, and I know Oleander is my first name, but it's just Rainy, okay? I don't call you Kowalchuk." The SD40 greeted before he asked the question, "What gives with the poster?"

He let out a chuckle at the diesel's statement.  
"Oh, you see, Mr. Harrison has a special project he's working on, it's involving making diesels stronger, without a rebuild," the mechanic explained as he got out his voltage reader and opened the diesel's battery panel to check the charge.

Rainy was intrigued at such a premise. He laughed, "Ok, so... Hunter thinks he can just ask us to work harder than our engines or something?" He thought a bit as the mechanic checked his batteries.  
"You know what, Doc? Sign me up. I wanna see what a crock of bullshit this will be."

Kowalchuk jotted down on his clipboard that Rainy's batteries were healthy before asking, "You sure? You heard he's a nut job, right?"

"Eh, so that means literally it'll just be him probably blowing smoke up our exhausts, and I wanna be there when he fails."

The mechanic got out the papers and looked at Rainy and then the pen in his hand as to ask the diesel to turn human and sign the papers.

The red, white, and black SD40 shrunk down to a 6 and a half foot tall man with copper chin length hair, his young hazel eyes gleamed with confidence. He walked up to the desk and filled out the forms, signing his name on the dotted line ' Oleander Rainy Lockewood.'

By the end of the week, Rainy was now headed for Montreal's large railyard, hauling a grainer with some of his siblings who were just hauling grain. He was curious at how stupid this program was going to be. He had signed up for the engine's band in his youth where he learned to play the guitar, and even was part of the CN Transcona Rollers bowling team when he was still a young adult, but they were all for leisure.

Once the train arrived in the yard that ran along side Hickmore road, he was surprised to see more diesels waiting by a shop with the banner draped over the top of the doors with big yellow bold letters spelling out 'HUNTER PROJECT DIESELS REPORT HERE'

Rainy noticed one of the diesels among the rows, a CP diesel.   
"Could it be?! No... What would 5971 be doing here?" Oleander thought to himself.

The green eyed diesel took notice of the now CN diesel, remarking with a laugh, "Holy Fuck! I thought you were dead, Rain."

"Fuck off, Nate! I thought you'd die first. Ya know after they sent your girlfriend out west."

"Shut up, okay? I don't wanna talk about Avery. She's a cheater."

Suddenly they were interrupted by a shop worker who came out to greet them.  
"Diesels of every shape and size, I would like to welcome you all to the Hunter Program. The Program that will increase your engine strength and help you be the best engine you can be."

Nate and Rainy snickered at how stupid the premise sounded, looking at the surrounding diesels who believed in this program that they had just heard about.

"So then, I want you all to pick a buddy. We here in this project operate with a buddy-system, so always stick with your buddy. Not only will they be your test mates but you will be sharing a bunk with them at the old engineer resting quarters."

Nate and Rainy looked at each other with a smile and proclaimed, "Looks like we're bunk mates."

To Be Continued


	19. Scary Stories- Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Arc within an Arc?! What does it mean!?  
> It means... I don't know, I just wanna write some Rainy Lore
> 
> So this little bit is gonna be about our favourite crocodilian-SD40

"HOW is this scary?" Renee snarkily remarked. 

The blue clad child humanoid diesel asked, "Is the scary part coming soon, Oleander?"

The sound of the October downpour on the roof of the old station filled the silence after the little humanoid AC44's question.

Rainy remarked in his posh accented voice, "Quite soon, Star." He paused a second and resumed telling his tale.  
"You see now. During our downtime in the bunks, we didn't notice little speakers hidden through out the room, they emitted a frequency... I'm going to tell you about what happened a week or so after the exposure."

"Hey! Rains!" The humanoid CP SD40-2 called to whom was technically his brother, "I think something's wrong with me..."

Rainy, who had just got back from a walk to the KFC, came into the sleeping area and looked at Nate. He just stared and remarked bluntly in his Manitoban tone of voice, "Ok, what's wrong?"

Nate moved some of his hair aside showing a small protrusion from the top of his head, looking like he had bumped on the left top part of his head. He then showed an identical one on the right side.  
"Rainy, I think I need to go see a doctor, or an engine repair specialist... Someone."

Rainy remarked as he offered a box of popcorn chicken to his friend, "You need to stop thinking so much, the mosquitoes are bad and some probably bit you last night."

Nate, who normally would gladly accept, felt his stomach lurch at the thought of eating meat. He shuddered, "No thank you! I couldn't handle chicken right now."

The humanoid CN SD40-2 went into kitchen area and brought a container and a spoon back from there of the Colonel's Coleslaw.  
"Is this better, your highness." The ginger haired fellow snickered. 

Nate laughed a bit before he grabbed the container and the plastic utensil and started hungrily shoveling down the vinegar scented slurry of vegetables without a second thought. 

Rainy looked at his friend in discomfort, yes, Nate did enjoy coleslaw, but he had never seen him chow down so rapidly.

Lazuli, the humanoid GP20-ECO, curiously interrupted the crocodilian's story. She asked, "Coleslaw? Is that like how Zoey gets cravings for fruits, cherry tomatoes, and carrots sometimes?"

"You are quite right, Lazuli. And funny enough, Nate was indeed distorting.... as was I, but, mind you, my addiction to chicken made my animalistic actions more dulled."

Renee asked, ".... Ok, so you DIDN'T have an accent at the Hunter Project?"

"I'm getting there..." the crocodilian hissed before he rolled his eyes and continued telling the story, "Now... this was persisting for a few weeks beyond the initial worries of Nate, and things about our physical selves were starting to change. We noticed we both had a strange nub appearing at our lower backs, our nails would grow faster and sharper. Nate's overbite became more pronounced, while my whole mouth became lined with fangs as opposed to the standard factory installed, and little black leathery specs started appearing on my face, while orange ones appeared on my arms. The cravings Nate had persisted. All the while, we couldn't hear the speakers... until one cold Friday night in October."

The two SD40-2s were sleeping one night when they were awoken by a low rumbling sound, everything in the room seemed still, yet the sound of almost an earthquake could be heard through out the dormatorium of diesels.  
Rainy and Nate awoke in horror but an invisible force had them stuck to their beds.  
The low sound changed frequencies, becoming high pitched and loud like a dog's whistle. 

Rainy looked over at Nate, his vision slightly obstructed by a large charcoal grey object. He tried to shake his head but it wouldn't come off. The CN humanoid diesel looked over at his friend, watching the protrusions on the head grow into a long pair of desert hare ears. 

Nate, while shaking violently and yelling in agony from the sound making his new second set of ears ache, glanced over at Rainy. His eyes flashed open in horror, he somehow snapped out of the paralysis and scuttled back into the corner of the room.  
He bumped into a plant that seemed to be the source of the noise. The hare-eared humanoid diesel saw the wire connected to the plant and tore it out. The sound stopped in the room, but it was still audible faintly through the walls to the other rooms.  
The CP humanoid approached his friend cautiously, asking shakily in a voice akin to that of Ryan Reynolds, "R-rai...." He stopped, covering his mouth with his hands, shocked at the sound of his voice. The normally scratchy sound of his voice had been replaced entirely. He shook in fear, not knowing if his friend was now a threat to him.

Rainy finally sat up right and groaned, his voice sliding from his normal speaking to being more Trans-Atlantic, "Nate, what the fuck just happened? I.." He stopped realizing something changed of himself.  
He coughed to try to straighten out his voice, he opened his mouth and spoke now in an almost eloquent yet noticably deeper tone, "What was that s..." Rainy went to put his hands up to his mouth but stopped upon seeing them. His hands were now charcoal grey with an orange singular scraggled line of scales, his nails were now black and pointed claws. Rainy put his hands to his face, trying to touch his mouth, but was stopped by his new crocodilian snout. He placed his renewed hands upon the snout and felt the scaly features of his now animalistic face. he went to feel for his ears beneath his draping shoulder length hair to find they had shrunk in size to be less noticeable. He finally stood up and walked to the bathroom.  
"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME!" His now British accented voice shouted in shock.

Nate ran into the bathroom seeing Rainy feeling his renewed face and skin, his pyjamas now had a hole in it for a short tail. He then took a look in the mirror at himself, thankful the transformation was minor since he snapped out of paralysis quickly, but he still was still upset at what the transformation had done to him. He looked to his once milk chocolate coloured hair, it now had a greyed hue to it, muting the warm colour it once had.  
He reached his hands shakily, with the short pointy nails he had to the ears and felt them, their fur was coarse yet a touch soft. He lowered his hands and as he studied his reflection, his nose twitched until he placed his hands over it to try to control the involuntary movement of curiosity.  
"This is fucked up on so many levels, Rains..."

Rainy worriedly reached up to his hair, worried that becoming a lizard meant that it would fall out. Yet when he touched it, it didn't have an issue. He pulled on it, it wouldn't come loose, it was almost like the strands were cemented into the follicles. He beamed, but shortly, as his alligator like chompers horrified him. Rainy was thankful that what made him vain was now a permanent fixture. 

Nate nervously asked in a voice rather strange for nervousness, "I'm guessing you DON'T want to eat me, right, bro?"

Rainy turned to his brotherly friend and remarked in his new posh tone, "You must be joking. Me, eat you? Fuck that! Let's go down to KFC and rob the place of all the chicken and coleslaw... I'm sure the humans would tremble with fear upon seeing a crocodile at their drive through."

Nate asked curiously, "Can I come too? We can chill in the parking lot until work. I don't want to be around this sound, it's driving me fucking insane!"

"Gladly..." 

The two opened up their window and casually walked out in their pyjamas and slippers, hearing the sounds of their coworkers screaming. 

"You think we should do something about everyone else?"

Rainy looked at the wires going to each and every window before he shrugged and remarked, "It's not our problem," before continuing on his way to the nearby late night KFC restaurant.

Lazuli and Star's mouths hung open in surprise and shock.

Renee asked with a laugh, "So that's how you became a living fossil?"

"I'm not a dinosaur... however, yes, that is indeed how I became this crocodilian of a man," Rainy proudly pronounced.

Laz asked, "W... Was those diesels, you know, the CEMR and CanDo ones that tried to eat me... were they in the project too?"

"They were the ones who managed to sleep through the noise all night. They might have caused some other diesels to be... ummm well, removed, from the project."

"You mean they ate some engines?" Star asked concernedly.

Rainy responded as he heard the rain slow almost to a stop outside, "I'm sorry, kids, but that will just have to be another story for another time... Zoey said after the rain that you two had to switch the gondola cars."

The younger diesels sighed annoyedly. Star stood up and helped wheel Lazuli in her wheelchair outside so they could begin work.

"So yeah... What happened to Nate?" Renee inquired, looking down at her phone to check the time.

"He's still out there somewhere, I know he is. Maybe one day I'll see him again."

To Be Continued


	20. A Night Out to Recharge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branching off from the original run https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> This continues with the sentient engines from the last series since I'm not done with them yet.  
> Anyways, these are more stories about the BUNX diesels.
> 
> Character Designs:; https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> The Renee Arc Continues!!!
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Ferdinand "Ferny" the ES44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Tracy the EMD GP40 is an OC I have

Renee had gotten back late from her Friday work. She had been assisting Angeline all day at CP Rail, but made a stop to get more pods for her vape caused her to be late.

Now she was finally back and was ready to relax. The GP39RM came to a stop by the old station and focused deeply, changing into her humanoid form.

The ginger walked up proudly to the station's door and was about to open it when she heard someone crying inside the office.

Renee slowly opened the door to see what was going on.

Nellie was on the couch, sitting hugging her favourite plush rabbit, tears falling from her greyish-blue eyes.

She looked up to see Renee and she wiped her face. With a sniffle the humanoid SW1001 greeted, "Hi, Renee... How was work?"

Renee walked over to Nellie and sat beside her, she asked, "Nah, no, that's not a right now question." She crossed her arms and sternly remarked, "What IS a right now question is who do I have to punch?"

"No!" Nellie yelled in fear, before she realized that she reacted impolitely, she apologized, "No... I mean, I'm sorry I yelled... I don't want to get in trouble again. No, no I'm fine, I'm sorry."

Renee could see Nellie was trembling. The former BNSF humanoid diesel asked, "Zoey not around right now?"

Nellie shook her head, holding her bunny doll closer.

Renee thought and asked, "Want to go out and do something fun? I mean, you need something to take your mind off this shit that life has given you."

She uncrossed her arms and held out a hand looking at Nellie reassuringly.

The fox eared ginger thought for a second and then put her stuffed rabbit away, she didn't want to accept Renee's hand but she dried her tears and stood up.

"So where are we going?"

Renee laughed, "I don't fucking know, where are your favourite places?"

"It's a nice night, we could go to the Forks and get some hot chocolate at Espresso Junction."

"That's a good place to start but we could do something funner."

Nellie thought more and excitedly asked, "Do you like mini golf? There's a mini-golf place across from McPhillips Station where the engine lounge is."

Renee remarked, "Fuck yeah, let's do that! I can get my gamble on after we do mini-golf."

The two left the old GWWD Station excitedly, ready to go on an outing that would help Nellie forget about her shitty day."

To Be Continued


	21. Burnt out from the Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branching off from the original run https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> This continues with the sentient engines from the last series since I'm not done with them yet.  
> Anyways, these are more stories about the BUNX diesels.
> 
> Character Designs:; https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> The Renee Arc Continues!!!
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Ferdinand "Ferny" the ES44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Tracy the EMD GP40 is an OC I have

It was a Sunday night and Zoey was just about to go to bed at 10PM, she heard the door open to her industrial home and decided to go see Nellie who, for every night, had been out with Renee doing something fun.   
Zoey missed having Nellie around and was jealous, but she wanted not to manifest it in her talking with Nellie. She stood at the door way of her bedroom and saw Nellie wearing a clip on raccoon tail and carrying a giant blow-up crayon.  
The brunette humanoid with the rabbit ears asked, "You went to the arcade tonight?"

Nellie excitedly remarked, "Yeah! I won this crayon! And Renee bought me this pink raccoon's tail and I was KILLING IT at the hand-eye coordination games."

Zoey rolled her eyes slightly and asked worriedly, "Nellie... do you know what time it is?"

"10?"

"Do you know what day it is tomorrow?"

"I know Zoey, but Renee said that I looked really sad because the weekend is over tomorrow, so we went and had fun."

Zoey took a hold of Nellie's hand and worriedly suggested, "Nellie... I know Renee might be new and she might encourage going out and having fun, but maybe you should take it easy. You could burn yourself out."

Nellie sighed and sadly cooed, "It sounds like you don't want me having fun."

Zoey rubbed her right thumb over the back of her best friend's hand, "Nellie... I am so happy you're having fun, but you need to be responsible. I know you have trouble sleeping and I am worried you'll be tired tomorrow." She looked at Nellie with her concerned brown eyes, and pleaded, "Nellie... I want you to take care of yourself. Jackie wants me to make sure you're getting back on the right track so that you heal and grow emotionally healthier despite CN breaking you down."

The fox eared girl felt uncomfortable at the mention of Jackie and pulled her hand away from Zoey. She remarked, "Jacqueline would be mad that I'm making friends with Renee..."

Zoey's nose twitched with slight annoyance but she calmly stated in a firm tone, "She wouldn't... she just wouldn't be happy that you're putting your happiness into the hands of ANOTHER GP30."

Nellie got frustrated and walked away, slamming the door to her bedroom. She opened the door and peeked out worriedly and pleaded, "Please don't be mad, I'm just upset right now. I'm sorry."

Zoey smiled softly at Nellie, feeling bad that the trauma Nellie had endured since her build made her so terrified to express anger. Zoey reassured, "It's ok, you're upset and you're tired. If you need anything, you know which room mine is."  
The brunette went back to her room, feeling ill to her stomach that Nellie was focusing on Renee only like a kid who got a new toy. She knew Renee was a bad influence for Nellie but she just wished that she could get Nellie to slow down and not just run around trying to escape her thoughts until late at night.  
"Ok, but I'm literally no better," Zoey realized to herself thinking about all the times she would take Nellie somewhere as an avoidance therapy. She just silently went to bed, worrying about Nellie.

6AM arrived and Nellie was still tired, she dragged herself out of bed and begrudgingly got dressed.   
She walked out of her room grumbling about how tired she was and that she hated Mondays.

Zoey, was already sitting at the kitchen table, drinking her berry smoothie she made for herself, "Good Morning, sleepy head, how was your night?"

"Horrible... stop smiling, I know you're right..." Nellie groaned as she went to go to the cupboard to grab a box of cereal. She looked at the box, and her stomach lurched at the thought of food, she put the box back and sat at the table, looking extremely uncomfortable. Nellie muttered annoyedly, "No more Mountain Dew Baja Blast at night."

Zoey asked, "Maybe you should take it easier then?"

The exhausted SW1001 didn't like that Zoey was rubbing it in, she softly remarked, "Look... I'm gonna deal with the consequences... but just stop being so smug for being right... I'm ACTUALLY in pain right now."

The brunette got up from her spot at the kitchen table and gave Nellie a hug. She asked, "Promise me you'll be more responsible, Nell?"

Nellie nodded tiredly. She admitted, "I like when we spend time together more, Zoe... you don't shut down my more calm ideas."

Nellie, for the rest of the day, struggled and made mistakes due to her exhaustion. She would have to tell Renee that she would need to ease up a bit or she would suffer more.

To Be Continued


	22. Miss Responsible and Little Missy Troublemaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branching off from the original run https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> This continues with the sentient engines from the last series since I'm not done with them yet.  
> Anyways, these are more stories about the BUNX diesels.
> 
> Character Designs:; https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> The Renee Arc concludes in this chapter. She will be a part of the regular cast now
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Ferdinand "Ferny" the ES44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Tracy the EMD GP40 is an OC I have

Renee barged into the GWWD office and approached Zoey's desk.  
"Why in the flying fuck did Nellie tell me no to hanging out with her tonight? I know you had something to do with it!" The former BNSF humanoid engine accused while pointing her left index finger at Zoey.

Zoey sighed and sternly responded, "No, I actually did not. Nellie was EXHAUSTED this morning." The brunette stood up and explained, "Nellie needs a balance. She can't just have crazy hyper-active fun from work's end til bedtime."

Renee raised an eyebrow at Zoey and responded, "Uh, I talked with Angie on Friday, YOU LITERALLY DO THE SAME THING!"

"No, ok? That's completely different. You're just being irresponsible and making Nellie run away from her emotions."

Renee snickered and she said, "Really then?"   
She got out of her pocket a glasses case and put on her glasses, took off her toque and used a rubber band on Zoey's desk to tie her hair up in a ponytail and she started mimicking Zoey's voice rudely.  
"Look at me! I'm Miss Responsible! I do taxes like a human and eat oatmeal for breakfast. I'm so much better than Renee because I know what's right for Nellie and blah blah blah responsibility blah blah blah fun is bad."

Zoey was getting extremely annoyed, she turned to Renee and with some aggression, stated firmly, "Look here, Little Missy Troublemaker, first of all, I have to do taxes, I run a business, secondly I DO worry about the well being of Nellie. She's been through some stuff that would make your engine seize out of fear. While I DO give her time away that she can recover, I encourage her to feel and not just drown out what she is feeling with fun. So WHILE I AM BEING 'MISS RESPONSIBLE' at the end of the day, I'm doing it to help Nellie heal from the trauma safely. And lastly I HATE eating oatmeal, the texture is HORRENDOUS!"

Renee undid the ponytail she tied up and put her toque back on.  
"I'm sorry... that actually was really rude of me. I honestly thought you were just being the fun police. But I'm glad you care about Nellie too."

Zoey was still quite salty and didn't respond to the words of her American built coworker.

"Look... let's.. let's try to work together to make Nellie feel less bad. I'll try to not try to push her to do to much crazy stuff so she doesn't get all burnt out, and you can be the emotional support that you already provide for her," the copper haired humanoid GP39RM admitted. She looked to Zoey, hoping Zoey would accept that offer.

The rabbit eared humanoid engine sighed, "Alright... but you NEED to prove to me you CAN be a little more responsible, Renee. Nellie got yelled at pretty badly today."

The two were interrupted by Nellie entering the station, sipping on a Tim Horton's hot chocolate looking completely miserable.

Zoey looked to Renee, and then to Nellie and asked, "Hey Nellie... Renee and I were just chatting about going to Kildonan Place. Would you like to come along?"

Nellie confusedly looked to her friends and asked, "I thought you two didn't like each other that much?"

Renee laughed, "Yeah, well, Miss Responsible had a good point that we both worry about your happiness... So we're teaming up."

Zoey rolled her eyes and chuckled at her new nickname.

"So, whaddya say, Puddin' Pop? Should we hit the mall?"

Nellie smiled happily and responded, her voice a little less gloomy, "That would be great."

To Be Continued


	23. A Funny Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branching off from the original run https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> This continues with the sentient engines from the last series since I'm not done with them yet.  
> Anyways, these are more stories about the BUNX diesels.
> 
> Character Designs:; https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Ferdinand "Ferny" the ES44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Tracy the EMD GP40 is an OC I have

Nellie and Renee had been sent to work at the CN practice yards on Tuesday morning. 

Nellie was in a grumpy mood because she had been yelled at by Slade that she wasn't working hard enough.

Renee, who had brought a peanut butter and jam sandwich with her for lunch had an idea that would make Nellie's day better.

The two BUNX diesels were run until lunch break and then Renee went off to put her plan into action.

The GP39RM approached the GP40 numbered 6401. She asked, "So how's things been lately?"

The heavily freckled diesel remarked, "Well, Damian is up to his old shit trying to sell the scrap container cars to CP for cash... Nellie is still making new diesel mistakes... so normal."

Renee remarked, "Ok, hey, I'm gonna go to Joes, want to join?"

"Can't today, I gotta go work near the shops."

Renee remarked, "Alright, suit yourself." She changed down into her humanoid form and walked past Tracy, wedging part of the sandwich she had into the cat walk of the diesel.  
The copper-haired humanoid diesel approached her SW1001 friend and hopped up onto her pilot. Renee smiled as she began watching to see the seagulls near the yard start screeching and following around the GP40.

Nellie stiffled a snicker as she watched Tracy being followed around by the birds that she had seen in the McDonald's parking lots several times.

Renee smirked and happily asked, "Any better?"

"Yep." Nellie responded softly

Suddenly, their joy was cut short as the sound of a Dash 8 General Electric was heard approaching them from the fueling area.  
He asked sternly, "Ok, riddle me this, Nellie..." then he barked angrily, "WHY AREN'T YOU WORKING?! YOU'RE BEING LAZY! GET THE FUCK BACK TO WORK! THOSE IMPROPERLY SORTED CARS WON'T SORT THEMSELVES OUT."

Nellie hurried along, Renee holding onto Nellie's pilot firmly so she wouldn't fall off.

Renee asked once they got nearer the train they were sorting, "Do you want me to do something about him?"

"No... he's my dad..."

To Be Continued


	24. Something Really Fucking Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, I must warn readers, is rather emotionally upsetting and is rather dark.  
> It deals with trauma, suicide, overdose, abuse, self-harm, domestic violence towards one's child, implied domestic violence towards spouse, and intrusive suicidal thoughts.
> 
> Read at your own discretion
> 
> Branching off from the original run https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> This continues with the sentient engines from the last series since I'm not done with them yet.  
> Anyways, these are more stories about the BUNX diesels.
> 
> Character Designs:; https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Tracy the EMD GP40 is an OC I have

Another day at CN....

Nellie breathed in deeply the diesel fumes that swirled around her as she walked away in her humanoid form from CN.  
She didn't want to leave with Renee for BUNX. Nellie didn't want to even go home.  
Nellie walked out into the further areas of the yard and laid down on the rails, closing her eyes, hopeful another engine would come along and crush her humanoid form.

Nellie had attempted over several times to end her life. She had tried pills, fuel tank gunk remover, trying to throw herself off a parking garage, waiting on train tracks... yet either she would chicken out or survive. Even when she was almost killed a month ago by Slade, she still survived somehow.  
The SW1001 did not want to live anymore.  
Nellie thought about her friends and her mom but she just didn't want to carry on. She wanted everything to be over, she wanted life to be over.  
She heard a rumbling sound approach her, Nellie laid still. She looked up to see a diesel stop right near her. It was her mom.

Debbie softly spoke to her SW1001 daughter, "Nellie, sweetie... I know it's normal to feel like this, but please get up before your dad sees. He would be so mad at you."

Nellie sighed and got up, tears falling from her eyes. The fox eared girl admitted to the SD75i, "Mom... I'm so tired of everything... I just can't do it anymore. Why do we have to suffer?"

"Because, Nellie, we have to. Slade is always right, even when he isn't and I know it's not right that he hurts us but we have to comply."

Nellie didn't like that her Mom wasn't helping and she turned into her engine form. She softly stated, "I'm.... I'm going home now..."  
The SW1001 began to trundle to the end of the yard but was stopped by Slade.

"You really think you can leave that easily? After showing me SUCH DISRESPECT?!"

Nellie stammered and tried to form words but Slade shut her down by knocking her back by kicking the smaller diesel.  
The blue eyed diesel flinched and wept when she was kicked back. She didn't like this at all.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE NO RAILWAY! IF I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE RTC I WOULD MAKE SURE YOU'D BE HOMELESS AND WITHOUT WORK!"

Nellie wanted to die right then and there she was trembling.

"AND REMEMBER WHEN I BOUGHT YOU THOSE NEW RUNNERS? YOU STILL OWE ME FOR THEM!!"

Nellie hiccupped, "I-I thought it w-was a g-gift...?"

The Dash 8 glared down at the small and weaker diesel, barking angrily, his engine flaring with anger, "YOUR DISRESPECT TODAY SHOWS ME THAT YOU DON'T RESPECT YOUR MOTHER NOR I! NOW GET THE FUCK OUT OF THIS YARD BECAUSE I'M SICK OF LOOKING AT YOU! YOU WILL BE WORKING THIS WEEKEND TO REPAY YOUR DEBTS TO ME!!!"

Nellie felt so lowly, she had made plans to spend time with Zoey on Saturday, but now she would have to cancel since she didn't get prior permission.  
She waited on the rails thinking sadly.

Slade screamed, "YOU MUST HAVE SELECTIVE HEARING! LEAVE RIGHT FUCKING NOW, YOU PIECE OF SHIT DAUGHTER!!!!"

Nellie hurried away, only beginning to cry when she got to the edge of the practice yard. Her emotional distraught nature beckoned her to kill herself.

When the SW1001 got home to Zoey's house she ran to her room and locked the door, crying uncontrollably.

Zoey heard Nellie's crying and rushed to her friend's room. The rabbit eared humanoid tried to open the door.  
"Nellie... what happened?"

Nellie yelled from her room, "NO!"

Zoey was more worried now. She tried jostling the door knob.  
"Nellie, please let me help!"

"NO!" 

Zoey took her old Optimum points card out of her pocket and jimmied the lock with the card, making the door unlock.  
She softly asked, "Nellie... please..."

Nellie didn't respond.

Zoey opened the door to see Nellie in front of the dresser, standing in front of the mirror. She was covering her arms with grey consealer.  
The brunette's heart dropped. She asked, "Nellie... Are you not ok?"

Nellie refused to turn around to face her friend as she responded, her voice shaking, "E-e-everything i-i-is, fine..."  
She noticed Zoey beside her and turned away, but Zoey had already seen enough.

"Did he do this to you?"

Nellie shook her head, but then nodded but then sighed. Showing her bruised arms to Zoey, as well as her face having a slight bruise on her right side forehead near her forelock.  
"He did the inital ones... I made it worse because I'm a bad engine...."

Zoey pulled Nellie into a tight hug and tried to soothe her best friend.

Nellie started crying uncontrollably. She pleaded to Zoey, "Don't want to live anymore... I don't want to be alive... I just exist to suffer..."

The two sat beside each other on Nellie's bed, Zoey doing her best to comfort her friend who was extremely upset.  
Zoey asked gently, "Can you give the feelings a couple days? See if you feel any better?"

Nellie shook her head, "Slade is taking away my weekend and I don't want to be here for that... I want him to see how bad he hurt me!"

"Hey... no... He can't rent you on days that you're not for lease..."

"He can because he's my dad and I don't have any say..."

Zoey hugged Nellie tighter and soothed softly, "I'll make it up to you, Nell... I'll do something."

Nellie, leaned on her friend, she felt no energy at all to even keep herself upright.

The brunette humanoid GP30 asked, "Maybe a nap would make you feel better?"

Nellie shook her head at first but then responded softly, "A-actually... that sounds nice..."  
"b-b-but what if he shows up?"

Zoey soothed gently, "I'll stay here with you. I'll be right here, sitting in that chair in the corner of the room. I promise...."

Nellie let got of her best friend, stood off, took off her shoes and she walked to the other side of the bed and, in her day clothes, laid down on top of the bed

"That doesn't look comfortable...."

Nellie responded with tears in her eyes, "I don't deserve to be comfortable..."

Zoey hushed gently, "Oh nonsense..." She went to the linens closet outside Nellie's room and got a big fluffy pink blanket and covered her sad friend up with it. She then gathered up all Nellie's favourite stuffed animals and gave them to her friend.

Nellie looked grumpily at her friend at first for trying to make her comfortable. However the humanoid SW1001 snuggled up into the blanket and started to feel better.

Zoey handed Nellie her little white rabbit doll with the brown bow. She softly stated, "I think you're missing someone very important."

The ginger sniffled and her eyes welled up with emotional tears because she felt so cared for and wanted. She took the white rabbit and weakly whispered in a shaky voice, "Thank you, Zoey, you're the best..."

Zoey put her hand on Nellie's face and softly responded, "You're the best too, Nellie... You're my best friend. I just wish you weren't treated like garbage. I wish others could see how great you are and how much value you do have."

After a little while, Nellie drifted off to sleep, Zoey sitting in the arm chair of the room, making sure that Nellie was ok.  
Zoey's phone made a small blip sound and she checked it. 

A message from Renee popped up asking if Nellie wanted to go see a movie with her.

The brunette humanoid GMD diesel typed into her messenger that Nellie was unwell and she needed her rest.

"Bummer," the response text read on Zoey's android phone screen, "Please let her know I hope she gets well soon." 

Zoey looked up at Nellie and smiled in a slightly sad way, knowing that Nellie would probably never get well. She just would have to make sure that Nellie would be safe in her care and that Nellie would be as happy as she could be off the clock.

To Be Continued


	25. The Autonomy of a Diesel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Branching off from the original run https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> This continues with the sentient engines from the last series since I'm not done with them yet.  
> Anyways, these are more stories about the BUNX diesels.
> 
> Character Designs:; https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Tracy the EMD GP40 is an OC I have

Nellie opened her eyes, noticing she was in her diesel form before she began to look around at her surroundings.  
"Ok... why does the grass look like that? Why are there no people?" the SW1001 asked to herself. She tried to move herself but she couldn't move. She started to panic.  
Suddenly she heard someone speak in a loud booming voice above her.

"Hello, daughter!" an angry voice yelled down to the little diesel.

Nellie looked up to see that looming over her was Slade in his humanoid form. She hated when he was in his human form, he was intimidating with his angry looking eyes and his tall rounded form that hid his extremely strong muscles. Held a remote and threw the throttle forward making Nellie accelerate and head down the tiny tracks she was trapped on.

The humanoid Dash 9 with his cold hazel eyes pressed buttons on a board to keep switching the tracks Nellie was on, making her scream in terror thinking she was going to crash before she would be redirected. He laughed more as he turned her speed up and he watched her fly around the model train set in fear.  
"What's wrong, Nellie? Don't you trust your own father?!"

Nellie started crying and screaming in her tiny voice for help.  
"MOM! MOM! HELP ME!"

The SD75i looked over at her daughter trapped in a siding by some model grain hoppers, she couldn't do anything to help her daughter.

Nellie pleaded, "I need to stop! I'm going to fall off!"

Slade yelled down at the little diesel, "You will stop when I tell you to stop!"

Nellie saw a line she was on had no connecting switches and she was heading for the edge of the table. She was going to crash and fall off.  
The little SW1001 breathed in and honked with all her might, praying inside someone would catch her.

Suddenly a gloved hand grabbed a hold of Nellie and pulled her off the table.  
A familiar voice spoke in a stern tone to Slade, "This is my diesel... She is owned by my company and she has a choice."

Slade yelled at the woman who had picked up Nellie, "SHE'S A DIESEL, SHE DOESN'T GET THOSE FREEDOMS!"

Nellie looked up at the one holding her to see it was humanoid Zoey, she felt much safer.

"By that token, you should also not have the freedoms you do," the brunette turned, still holding the model train version of Nellie and began walking away holding her friend gently in her hands.

Nellie stirred awake from the dream, happy to see that she wasn't a model engine and that she was back in her room at Zoey's place.  
The little diesel rubbed her head slightly as the bruise from earlier began to ache a bit after Slade had turned human and walloped her upside the head. She looked down at her right hand to see the bruise that emulated the dent he put in her coupler.  
The SW1001 sighed, she knew the previous day had been horrid and that the morning would bring more sadness, but she remembered that Zoey had calmed her down. Nellie looked up to the chair where Zoey had been when she started her nap, and there was Zoey, sleeping in the recliner, still keeping guard over her friend, even if she was sleeping.  
The blue eyes of the fox eared girl looked over to her alarm clock in the room, it was only 12:23 AM.  
Nellie sighed, thankful she had more hours of sleep, but she still felt horrible for having a relapse that caused her to have an emotional break down the day before.  
"Zoey?"

The brunette stirred awake, she put her glasses on once her eyes had opened completely.  
She asked in a yawn, "Hey Nellie, what's wrong?"

Nellie softly began speaking, "I'm sorry I woke you up... I just... I just wanted to say thanks for watching over me while I rested... You can go back to your own bed now... I'm sorry that you're sleeping in that chair, I'm sure it's uncomfortable."

Zoey smiled and responded reassuringly, "I'm honestly fine, Nell, I'm nice and comfortable and I want to stay right here in case you need me... You had a really horrible day, and I want to be right here."

Nellie still felt bad that Zoey felt that way.  
"But... I... It's a burden on you... When I'm traumatized it probably traumatizes you."

Zoey put down the foot rest of the chair and walked over to her friend. The bunny eared woman sat on the edge of her friend's bed and softly asked, "Why would you think that?"

"Because... I burden others with my problems... I just let everyone down and make them sad... That's all I'm good for. You probably feel like you have to babysit me," Nellie muttered sadly, feeling ashamed of herself.

The brunette reassured gently as she put her hand on Nellie's shoulder, "I'm not babysitting you. You're actually traumatized and you're still enduring horrible things that NO ONE should go through. There's no shame in needing help, Nellie. I'm here for a reason... I got you from the E&N for a reason."

Nellie didn't respond to that, she didn't know how to ask why Zoey would've done that.

"Because you're my friend and I knew CN would've just taken you and used and abused you without rest. I wanted to be able to help you have more freedom so you could feel wanted for a change."

Nellie's eyes welled up a bit and she whispered, her voice cracking with sadness, "But, no one likes me, I'm just a weak little crybaby who can't do anything right."

"I know for a fact all the engines here working for BUNX all like you, Nellie. I know Angie cares about you, Renee likes to spend time with you and she says that you're a joy to work with, Laz and Star like being around you and they enjoy when they get to draw with you. Malcolm, when he and I talk, has nothing but positive stories to tell about you and how kind and considerate you are and have been. Heck, even Rainy likes you despite the jokes he says to you sometimes..."

Nellie looked to Zoey and softly laughed, still a little sad, "And I know you like me a lot."

Zoey admitted with a laugh as she took her glasses and dried them from some emotional tears she had, "I adore you so much, Nellie. You have your moments, but you're the most best friend I could've ever asked for. You might be damaged and you might sometimes do odd things but often your heart is in the right place. When EMD built you, they did something right."

Nellie started just crying uncontrollably.

The brown eyed bunny-like woman put her glasses back on and soothed her friend worriedly, "Hey, no it's ok Nellie, please don't cry."

Nellie sniffled and responded with a smile, "That means a lot, I mean, I might not believe it, but... just hearing that makes me feel happy."

Zoey hugged Nellie tightly, patting her friend's back.  
"I know this was a really good heart to heart, but.. I think you should get back to sleep."

Nellie nodded but admitted, "More hug first, please."

The humanoid GP30 continued to hug her humanoid SW1001 friend reassuringly, rubbing the ginger's back soothingly, happy that she could make Nellie feel better.

To Be Continued


	26. a Fun Fox Fact found out from a Former Lover who is Formally her friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The other night, after recalling that I wrote a "Shed Doors" chapter about Nellie's incident reports, I remembered that I alluded to her past romantic relationships. I talked with Mimi, my friend who has a trainsona named Ruby and worked out an idea for this story. So here it is in the secondary part of the series about sentient trains who can turn into people!
> 
> Branching off from the original run https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> Character Designs:; https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> Ruby is the trainsona of the-Heroine-Fi on DeviantArt see Ruby in the link below  
> https://sta.sh/010uim7znck0  
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC

It was 6AM up in the town of Riverton, and the diesels of IGRC were preparing for their daily jobs.

"You're sure in a good mood today, Ruby. I guess you're going to the city?" the yellow RS18 asked to the owner of the Interlake Gems Rail Co. She was backing up to a line of grain hoppers to take to the Crown Royal Brewery up in Gimli.

The former CP MLW RS23, who usually was usually quite somber and cynical, responded happily, "Yeah, I mean, someone has to pick up the fuel rations, Annabelle."

The yellow diesel inquired with a laugh, "Do I get to be in charge this time?"

"You were last time, and remember? No one took the train to the Hydro Plant in Selkirk. I'm leaving Blizzard in charge this time."

Blizzard, the Cargill engine numbed 609, looked up in shock, "Wait what?"

Annabelle remarked, "That's no fair! He's gonna go human and play on his phone using the office's wifi..."

"What the fuck! I did that ONCE!"

"...Look... Until you can prove that YOU are responsible, I have to leave Blizz in charge," Ruby sighed annoyedly.

"Say hi to my Aunt Nellie, okay?" the green and white diesel asked happily to the red MLW switcher.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure I'll let her know you said hi," the owner of the misfit diesels remarked as she began to back up to collect her empty tanker cars to take to the city.

The young-minded CN M420W asked hopefully, "Then it's my turn next time, right boss?"

"Don't worry, Mina, you'll get your turn. In fact, if you finish your delivery to Selkirk early, WITHOUT ANY ACCIDENTS, I'll let you help Blizzard."

The words from her boss made the former CN diesel ring her bell joyfully, she giggled happily, "I won't letcha down boss!"

The MLW RS23 was satisfied enough with the responses from her engine employees. She rang her old red MLW bell twice before she collected up the line of diesel tankers and headed out of the train yard.

It was 8AM, and two of the best friends on the roster of BUNX were working in the office space at 404 Archibald.

Nellie shook excitedly, not only was it a Friday that she didn't have to work on the rails but Ruby was coming. The, for once, happy humanoid SW1001 almost seemed to happily skip with Zoey's paperwork for filing to the cabinets before happily putting the papers in their respective folders.

"You're in a good mood, Nell! I'm sure glad that you get to see Ruby today!" the bespectacled, bunny-eared woman stated cheerfully, happy to see her best friend in a positive mood.

The ginger happily giggled, "Yeah, this is the going to be the second time I've seen her since I came back, but now she can stay over night and she and I can have an actual happy time this time. I'm not going to be sad and gloomy and everything like that, not like back in February."

"Just remember you have a little more office work here with me, just as a cover to ensure that I CAN show Slade that you worked today. I don't want him finding out I went easy on you if it might cause him to be harsh on you," the brunette remarked, remembering a few days ago when Nellie's father figure had caused Nellie to have a severe psychological break down.  
"Also, I know lately you've been staying away from relationships, but even still, no funny business with Ruby, okay? I know you two used to be an item back in the day, so I don't want to stumble upon you two doing something.... ya know... in my house..." the self conscious and slightly jealous brunette stated, feeling kind of guilty to say that, but she felt she needed to put down at least some ground rules.

"Trust me, Zoe. Rubes and I are not going to be doing any thing... notchy... let alone romantic. She and I are just friends for a reason," the fox eared woman admitted with a nervous laugh, "And besides, the notchy part of me got killed off."

The humanoid GP30 felt relief upon hearing that, albeit she felt bad though that Nellie's abusive ex, Fang, had done some serious damage to her to have caused part of Nellie's self to no longer exist.

There was the sound of an old P3 horn outside the industrial home.

Nellie jumped up excitedly, her hands flailing with excitement, "RUBY IS HERE!"

Zoey couldn't help but snicker a little at how adorable Nellie's excitement was. She asked teasingly, "I hope that you'd get that excited about me showing up somewhere if we didn't live under the same roof." She stuck her tongue out at her friend playfully, causing Nellie to reciprocate the expression back before the two laughed.  
"Just, don't get into any trouble ok?"

The humanoid SW1001 nodded and ran to the living room to get her messenger bag.  
"I'LL SEE YOU AFTER LUNCH, ZOE!" Nellie exclaimed happily.

The nose of the bunny-like humanoid diesel twitched a little before she giggled, happy that Nellie would have a good day for a change.

The humanoid SW1001 ran outside and up to the wooden fence along the former warehouse. She hopped over the fence and ran to where the CP and CN lines intersected.

The RS23 looked over and honked twice happily.  
"NELLIE!"

"RUBY!" the fox eared woman exclaimed before she climbed up onto the catwalk of her best friend.  
"It's been a while, huh?"

"WAAAAAYYY too long!" Nellie laughed before she went to go to Ruby's cab to be a stand-in engineer, since Ruby hadn't had an engineer since the 1990s and since Ruby got restored, the MLW mostly ran herself with no issue unless she was in the city since rail laws were more strictly enforced.  
"So what happened that kept you from coming in to get fuel rations?"

Ruby laughed, "CN was sending some directly up to Crown Royal and since we were doing all the brewery's switching work, they gave us all the fuel for 8 months until Karen told on us and now shit's back to normal."  
"Anyways, let's get these empties to CP and go to the mini golf place to kill some time while we're waiting."

"Like always!" Nellie laughed as she sat down near the RS23's controlls, pretending to look busy.

Noon rolled around, and the two diesel friends arrived at the GWWD yard to drop off the tanker cars to be safe until the next day.

Renee, who was in the midst of assembling the water district train looked to see Nellie and Ruby entering the yard. She exclaimed, "HOLY DAMN, Nellie! Who's your friend there? Is she single?"

Ruby glanced over at the GP39RM and remarked, "Pfft, you think you'd have a shot with ME? I mean you would but I'm seeing someone."

"Clever comeback," Renee laughed before she remarked with a little snark, winking at the MLW, "But if you get bored, I'll be around." 

From the cab of the RS23, Nellie informed Ruby, "That's Renee, she's started maybe a week or so ago."

The former CP diesel came to a stop and focused deeply, shape shifting down to her humanoid form.  
Ruby was quite tall. Her skin was an odd hue of a light bubblegum pink with some freckling on her face, and her frizzy salmon pink hair was a stark contrast to her greyish-white fennec fox-like ears. Her faded out action red shirt and jacket added to her pink aesthetic that clashed with her brilliantly red dyed jeans and her brown work boots.  
"Well, aren't I hideous?" Ruby joked, striking a silly pose

Nellie hugged Ruby and playfully noogied her second oldest friend, "Pfft, you kidding? You're adorable!"

The two happily chatted about videogames and cartoons while they took the short walk to Zoey's place. 

The brunette came outside to check to see if the two were back yet, she had just taken an apple crumble out of the oven as a nice treat instead of having a healthy boring lunch.

Nellie ran up to Zoey and gave her a big hug. The humanoid switcher let go of her rabbit-like friend and pointed to her pink friend.  
"I'm sure you've met Ruby before, huh, Zoe?"

Zoey smiled to the approaching humanoid engine and walked over and gave her a hug.  
"Holy shit, Ruby. I haven't really seen you since you got your rebuild all done. I'm glad to see the water district didn't make you push up daisies."

"Ah, come on, Zoey, Nellie's little sister wouldn't let me nor Scarlet kick the bucket. Ellie's just kinda like that."

"She is," the brunette stated with a smile before she got out of the way of the door.  
"I made an apple crumble, if you two want to come inside."

Nellie bolted inside excitedly, stopping and turning around to look at Ruby before calling out to her MLW friend, "Trust me! It's really amazing!"

"I'm glad you're taking care of her well," the fennec-like humanoid trilled before looking at Zoey to continue her statement in a whisper, "Have you thought of asking her out?"

"I can't, and she doesn't want to. She and I are only friends."

Ruby shrugged slightly before entering the home and looking around to study Zoey's home.  
"This place is really nice, Zoe. Nice work."

Nellie exclaimed as she cut some pieces of apple crumble for her and for her friends, "It's really nice! There's two bathrooms, and Zoey's room is really cool, and my room is nice, and there's a back shop where she can work from home and the kitchen and living room are joined, and she has this area that's like an infirmary but like it's for if something happens and all us BUNX diesels have to crash the night here!"

"Sounds like Zoey has it all figured out," Ruby responded with a laugh before trying some of the apple crumble dessert.  
The MLW marvelled at the delicious treat, "Is this Mildred's recipe?"

"Kind of. If you remember, Lottie, when I was a kid, would make us homemade granola squares as a way to get me to eat oatmeal, since eating it the normal way is god-awful." She explained before she took a bite of her baking, enjoying the delicious flavour before swallowed and continued explaining, "I discovered that making an apple crumble instead of an apple crisp meant I could have the best of both recipes."

Nellie put some pieces of the dessert on a plate after eating a few pieces. The EMD built diesel-humanoid asked eagerly, "Hey, Ruby, wanna where I sleep?"  
The ginger lead the way for her fennec-eared friend, carrying the plate of apple crisp pieces.

Zoey had gone back to work for a bit, but she wanted to check in on Nellie and Ruby.  
The bunny-eared tall woman stood up from her desk and stretched a bit before walking towards the home part of the building.  
When she got to the hallway, she listened carefully, hearing Nellie's voice.

"Thanks, Ruby, this is really relaxing..."

Zoey, curious as to what was going on, decided to slowly walk up to Nellie's room and peek in.  
The brunette was a bit uncertain by the sight that greeted her from the door opened just a crack.

Ruby was sitting on the bed with Nellie's back facing her, the former CP humanoid's fennec tail was swishing slightly out of happiness. The humanoid MLW gently, with both her hands, was rubbing Nellie's fox ears.  
"You probably needed this, huh, Nell?"

Nellie nodded slightly remarking sadly, "I want to ask Zoey, but... this might be just a you thing. I know we haven't been a couple for decades but I still appreciate this. It subsides the sad feeling for a while."

Ruby scratched gently behind Nellie's right ear.  
"How come you don't want to ask Zoey? I think that you more than likely trust her as much as you do me."

"It's really complicated and I don't want to make things more complicated, Ruby," Nellie explained with a sigh, "There could be a chance I would enjoy it TOO MUCH and then I could fall in love and then it would be a really bad thing."

"Because of Jackie right?" the MLW inquired as she stopped scratching Nellie's right ear, "I can understand that. You TEND to fall in love pretty fast with engines who shows you kindness."

Nellie covered her face in embarrassment.

"Oh come on, I don't mean it in a bad way. It's just... it's actually rather awful that you've been abused your whole life that when someone shows you warmth that you just fall for them," Ruby explained, feeling kind of bad for that wording,  
"No, that's not the right wording, I mean like. Honestly I don't know how to reword it, but I don't mean anything mean by it."

"I know, Ruby..." Nellie sighed.  
"Why'd you stop? Can I have a few more ear rubs?"

Ruby laughed before continuing. She spoke in a more somber tone, "I think you should trust yourself a little more, I mean, you HAVE self control. You can tell yourself no to liking Zoey. Do you WANT to be with Zoey?"

"No, goodness no. I'm no where near wanting to date anyone," Nellie admitted before twitching her right foot slightly because Ruby rubbed her right-side fox ear in the perfect.

"Alright, just needed to make sure," the fennec eared girl responded, still paying attention to Nellie's animalistic ears.

"I know I trust Zoey, just, this is our special thing, Ruby. I once asked Malcolm to rub my ears but it got really... awkward and I didn't like it," Nellie admitted before turning her head slightly towards her pinkish best friend's hand.

Ruby let go of her friend's ear and remarked as she put her hands on her bestie's shoulders, "What I think you should do is find something special to you and Zoey and if you start feeling lonely, ask Zoey. I know you're scared but she's really trustworthy. I mean, I should know, I'm your best friend too." Ruby let out a little chuckle and patted Nellie on the head gently before hugging her friend from behind.

Zoey walked away quietly hoping she wasn't seen peeking in on Nellie and Ruby. 

Ruby's phone rang and she remarked quietly, "Ah shit, I gotta take this call." She let go of her friend and took out her phone to take the work-related call.

Nellie left the room to give the owner of IGRC some space. She bumped into Zoey and jumped back a bit out of surprise.  
"Sorry, Zoe... I should watch where I'm going."

"No need, it's ok, Nell" Zoey reassured gently before hugging Nellie tightly, still happy to have heard that Nellie trusts her.

Nellie asked, "Hey, Zoe?"

"Yeah, Nellie?"

Nellie softly admitted to her friend, making sure Ruby wouldn't hear, "You're great at giving hugs." Nellie hugged Zoey back tightly, not realizing that it was a similar comforting thing to ear rubs from Ruby.

Zoey laughed and patted Nellie on her back gently before letting go of Nellie.  
The brunette looked to her blue eyed friend and offered with a cheery smile that exposed her overbite and canines, "Would you and Ruby want to go with me for dinner to VJs? I'll buy."

"That would be awesome!" 

Ruby, who had just got off the phone, exited the room and asked, "What's awesome?"

Zoey laughed, "Damn your fennec ears" before she reiterated, "Let's go get VJ's for dinner."

To Be Continued


	27. A Slap in the Face, but Verbally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning, this chapter of DD is gonna be darker   
> This chapter, I must warn readers, is rather emotionally upsetting and is rather dark.  
> It, once again, deals with trauma, suicide, overdose, abuse, self-harm, domestic violence towards one's child, implied domestic violence towards spouse, and intrusive suicidal thoughts.
> 
> Read at your own discretion
> 
> Branching off from the original run https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> This continues with the sentient engines from the last series since I'm not done with them yet.  
> Anyways, these are more stories about the BUNX diesels.
> 
> Character Designs:; https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797318/chapters/57171211
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Tracy the EMD GP40 is an OC I have

The October wind on that Saturday was rather cold, despite the rest of the weekend being nice.  
The former E&N diesel's engine rattled with exhaustion as her sleep had been horrible despite having a great day prior.  
Nellie, dizzily rolled forward, to collect the grain hoppers that were blocking her way.

"I want those over by the shops. Their wheels are worn." The class leader Dash 9 instructed, not switching any train cars himself.

Nellie's engine clattered as she pushed the cars along, nearing the Transcona shops.  
Radioing to the engine she called her father, she asked, "Where would these go? I'm wondering if they'd go to 9 because...."

The small diesel was interrupted by the larger supervising diesel, "WHY WOULD THEY GO BY 9?! AND WHY ARE YOU THINKING?!"

"Because I..." the little SW1001 tried to rebut in a semi-confident tone, trying not to let her fear show.

"YOU WANNA FUCKING FIGHT, NELLIE?! I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO BREAK YOU TO BITS!"

The switcher's voice trembled, as did the rest of her, "I-I-I'm sorry, sir... I!"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, NEGATIVEN NELLIE! DON'T BOTHER TALKING TO ME IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE SO ARGUMENTATIVE!"

The radio communication shut down.

Nellie was on her own for this one. She breathed in nervously and looked at the bays of the shops where they'd fix the train cars. She looked around before randomly settling on bay 5, pushing in the 5 grain hopers into the shop so the humans could replace the worn down wheels on the trucks.  
Nellie was often quite used to receiving the silent treatment from her dad, but this time was different since whenever it was fall, he would get extremely aggressive and demanding.  
The SW1001 flinched as she heard him yell from across the yard, "YOU'RE DOING EVERYTHING WRONG!!!! WHY ARE YOU EVEN WORKING?! JUST GO HOME AND GO BACK TO BED YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"  
Nellie, now who felt ashamed for wanting to be at home in her warm cozy bed at Zoey's, got back to work quietly, internally bastardizing herself for not wanting to work at all.

The SW1001 had switched the 5 tracks she was to clear by 1pm, but her trucks began aching horribly. She rolled up to her superior engine and asked in a pained voice, "May I please go home, Dad, sir? I... I'm in pain.." she fought back the tears that were trying to escape her eyes.

"You may go home..." Slade remarked coldly, he wasn't impressed with Nellie's 'attitude' at all today and he thought she was only being lazy.

The SW1001 began her way forward before she came to a screeching hault, screaming in agony, her eyes welling up, she couldn't move any further.

"All drama...."

The SD75i, best known as Debbie, hurried over from the part of the yard she was working in and tried to quell her tired daughter.  
"Nellie, it's ok."

"My trucks ache... I can't move."

Debbie glared at Slade, feeling disgusted at his smile at her. She looked down upon the crying SW1001 and asked, "Can you turn human?"

Nellie focused despite the pain and shrunk down to her human form. Nellie collapsed onto the ground howling in pain because her feet stung with pain.

"Slade, I hope you're proud of yourself."

"I am! She earned the right to rest for now."   
The dash 9 smiling at his daughter's dismay, proud he had worked the engine he presumed to be lazy to complete exhaustion.   
"Get up before I come over and smack you for making a fool of yourself, Negative Nellie."

Nellie struggled to her feet, trying her best to walk to the break area of the shops to rest herself a while before she could attempt to go back to Zoey's.  
She hated when her dad called her 'Negative Nellie', it seemed like even more of an insult when Slade said it.

Slade spoke up as he shifted down to his human form, "However, first, before you rest could you walk to Subway at Day and Regent and get your mother and I a sandwich?"

"I'm..." Nellie thought about saying no, her legs had pain shooting up them.   
She put her hand on her face while thinking about the next words she would say, Nellie stammered, "I-I-I'm going th-there right now, s-sir!"   
On her tired and painful legs, Nellie hobbled her way to the gates of the CN Transcona shops and onto Bond street to go to Subway and buy her parents lunch.

To Be Continued


	28. The Penelope Arc: Part 1- A Different Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now introducing another GP30!!! Why? Because I really like Penelope from the Young Zoey series and I have plans for her in this series since I like her a lot.  
> This chapter looks at Penelope's decision to partially quit her current job in seek of something more.
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Penelope the EMD GP30 is my OC

The conversation rang through the mind of the beautiful black and orange GP30 as she travelled along the line.

"Hey, John?" 

"Yeah, Pen, what's up?"

"I... I want more out of life?"

"How come? Is making this calendar every year not your thing anymore?"

"Goodness no, I love doing the bikini engines calendar. I enjoy being Miss May and helping take photos of the gorgeous human forms of other engines... but..."

"You can tell me, Pen, I'm not going to be mad."

"A lot of times, I miss being an engine... I miss pulling trains, I miss switching in the yards. I miss ringing my bell when I went through a crossing."

"I'm sure we could get BNSF to..."

"No! I'm sorry... I don't want to work for them. Not after what they tried to do."

"I'm sorry, dear. Do you have any engine friends that could help you?"

"I might, IF my sister Zoey is around still."

"ZOEY!? You mean the Canadian GP30 who was in Nebraska until 2 years ago? You're friends with that knock out hottie?"

"Hey! I thought you said I was a knock out hottie!"

"Sorry."

"I know her, yes. I'll reach out to her and see if there's any way that CP could hire me."

"If it makes you happy, I support you, Penelope."

"Thanks John. Thanks for keeping me safe for the last 30 years."

"I might not be as handsome as when I found you hiding in that old abandoned rail shed near Minneapolis' yards, but I still care about you."

"I promise I'll look for candidates for the 2021 calendar when I'm up in Canada. As every gay girl engine knows, Canada is the land of beautiful engine ladies."

Penelope snapped back to reality, the cool October air swirling around her as she saw the new-to-her skyline of the city from her childhood. Winnipeg.  
Her restored Great Northern black and orange paint gleamed in the autumn sun, her new cab mounted bell had been polished before her journey up to Canada, and her shiny new forehead mounted headlamp made her feel extremely proud, she felt like how she wanted to be.  
Penelope throttled up as fast as she could go, now rocketing along the Canadian Pacific La Riviere line, a smile upon her face, the tiny caboose that John and his friends had restored to be a storage place for her belongings connected up behind her, her bliss growing further with each mile, or rather every 1.60934 kilometres, that she travelled.

The GP30 had reached the small BNSF yard that spanned from Taylor to Academy Road, she rushed through the yard, exclaiming over her radio to RTC, "GN3001 headed for Canadian Pacific Arlington Yard, full throttle, looking for clearance, over!"

"GN3001? Goodness, you're a long ways from home, lady, come on in! The line is clear, missy. Come rest your tired trucks, copy?" the RTC controller at the CP yard remarked with a chuckle to the little diesel over her radio

"Roger!" Penelope giggled, excited to see Arlington Yard after a decade on the run and 30 years in hiding.

"No, I'm Andrew," the man teased before he remarked, "I'm joking. Just head up to the shops along the clear line, there's lots of resting space there."

"Alright, Andrew, over and out!" The GP30 said as she slowed a bit while crossing the rail bridge that spanned Portage Avenue. The brown eyes of the GP30 gazing at what used to be mostly industrial parks now into a bustling city area with a mall and hotels and auto dealerships.  
She marvelled at the new city that had bloomed from the one she once visited as a new diesel back in the Sixties.  
Penelope honked proudly as she neared the crossings running parallel to Empress Street, trying not to speed despite the fact she wanted to get to Arlington right now.

The blue GP30 waited excitedly by the shops of the CP yard, her engine rattling joyously. Zoey hadn't seen Penelope since she was just newly a girl, learning how to be a proper diesel and a little lady. She looked eagerly at the bridge spanning McPhillips Street until she saw the familiar cab shape that was similar to her own. Zoey started honking her K3 horn.

Penelope saw her bespectacled Canadian sister and throttled up excitedly. She exclaimed happily, honking her horn twice, "ZOEY!"  
The former Great Northern diesel slowed and coupled up her coupler to the other GP30's, her eyes welling up with happiness, she exclaimed, "Zoey! It's you! You grew up so pretty!"

"Gosh Penelope! You still have your baby freckles!" Zoey giggled a bit, holding back her tears because she hadn't seen Penelope in so long, "What do you look like as a human?"

"I'll show you if you tell me why in the hell you're blue AND working for CP?"

Zoey laughed and remarked, "Oh, no, CP only leases me. I work for myself." 

Penelope uncoupled from her caboose and focused, still bubbly as ever. She shrunk down to her human form, while she didn't wear a lacy dress like in her childhood years but rather a long sleeved orange tunic and black dress pants with a black overall dress with hardly a speck of dust on it. Penelope still had her shiny brunette hair partially styled up so the shape of it emulated her engine form's cab shape. She laughed, "Stop gawking, Zoe. What about you?"

"Promise you won't be mad?" Zoey asked, and after receiving a nod, she shrunk down to her humanoid form, afraid to make eye contact with her American sister. She may have had makeup to cover the brown of her rabbit-like nose, but she couldn't hide her tall white fluffy rabbit ears.

The EMD GP30 woman gasped. She reached her hand up and exclaimed as she felt the soft fur, "Pretty bunny ears!" Penelope smiled excitedly, not thinking about Zoey having sustained damage.

"You're not upset at me for getting distorted?"

"You always liked rabbits, and now you are one and it's so cute and... Look at your HAIR!" Penelope exclaimed happily as she moved her hands to Zoey's mid back length ponytail.  
"It's gotten super long, and the blue really looks cool with your natural colour. Goodness, did Lottie do the blue dye?"

Zoey laughed a bit awkwardly, she felt a little awkward with Penelope being surprised by her current look, "Lottie did the colour yes. Also it took me forever to get it like this, but Aunt Sandra was right, I just had to wait."

Penelope stopped her hands-on admiration of Zoey's hair and stated happily, "Well, I think you look really nice, and..." the humanoid EMD diesel stopped talking as she noticed a shiny diesel with duo-chromatic eyes resting near the refuelling station after finishing her shift from 2AM to 10AM. She stared at her and asked, "Who's she?"

Zoey turned around to look at her childhood friend. She laughed and said, "What? You don't recognize your childhood crush?"

"Marina? That's Marina? But... her cab is so... angled, and, didn't Marina have a tall hood? And, and, and her eyes, I thought Marina had two brilliantly blue eyes," Penelope remarked in shock.

"She got a rebuild and she was sort of lost for a while."

Penelope looked on as she remembered the blonde little girl diesel whom she went shopping with and had worked beside long ago who used to don the maroon and grey livery.  
"Goodness. Do you think she remembers me?"

"She probably would, I mean, who could forget you, sis?"

Penelope turned back into an engine and recoupled up to her caboose before heading over to the Canadian Pacific diesel, numbered 2222.  
"Hello?" The Great Northern diesel asked as she approached the shiny candy apple red GP20-ECO.

Marina looked at the engine and remarked, "Hello there, how may I help you?" She paused a bit as she noticed Penelope's number and colours. It took a few seconds but things started to click in the former GP9's mind.  
Her engine skipped a beat, her face lit up with a smile, "Oh my GMD!"  
She immediately turned into her humanoid form, her flowing ponytail of ginger and platinum making Penelope's compressor kick on out of surprise.  
"What? Did you think I was naturally blonde?"

Penelope uncoupled from her caboose again, shrunk to her human form and began hyperventilating before beginning her excited rambling.  
"Oh my gosh, Marina, you're so pretty, oh look at you! I love your outfit!" The GP30 rambled, making the GP20-ECO laugh a bit, she was used to compliments but she turned a little rosy in the cheeks with each compliment from her childhood crush.  
Suddenly her brown eyes caught sight of the ginger's earrings.  
"Pearl earrings." Penelope remarked before she started to swoon.

Zoey ran over and caught her sister. She chuckled, "What's the matter, Penelope?"

Marina giggled, "Goodness, Pennie, your gay little heart is showing."

Penelope covered her face in embarrassment despite enjoying the attention she was getting.

The beautiful CP diesel asked, "Since your pretty self is in town, want to go out later?"

Zoey teased, "Don't flirt too much, she could faint."

Penelope giggled, she was completely tickled pink. She remarked excitedly, "I'd love that so much, Marina."

Marina couldn't fight her old feelings for Penelope and kissed the American humanoid diesel on the nose. She stated cheekily, "5 at the Palm Lounge?"

"Gladly." Penelope responded, her heart fluttering, she managed to get her bearings and stand up without Zoey's assistance.

Marina remarked with a giggle, "I guess it's a date then."  
The ginger sighed, "I wish we could go sooner but I should rest up a bit more before my short noon-shift taking coal to the PDC." She walked over to the rails adjacent the two humanoid GP30s and remarked, "I'll see you later, Penelope."  
She focused deeply, and returned to her engine form and went to a resting bay of the shops to take a nap until her engineer would show up.

"Want to help me switch some tankers for the refuel station, Penelope? It'll be like old times?" Zoey offered before she went and stood on the rails, taking on her engine form again.

"Gladly, Zoe!" Penelope remarked before she changed the switches manually on the siding she had left her caboose on to ensure no one would take it while she helped Zoey a bit. She joined Zoey by returning to her true form and followed her to the refuelling station to do some work.

To Be Continued


	29. The Pre-First Date Jitters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now introducing another GP30!!! Why? Because I really like Penelope from the Young Zoey series and I have plans for her in this series since I like her a lot.  
> This chapter looks at Penelope's anxieties about reconnecting with Marina after so long while she gets ready.
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Penelope the EMD GP30 is my OC

Penelope, once her and Zoey had finished moving around some tanker cars despite it being a weekend, came back to the GWWD yard. The orange and black diesel parked the caboose she brought along with her on one of the switching lines. She focused deeply and switched to her human form before hurrying into the caboose to try to prepare herself for seeing Marina later.

The Canadian built sister of Penelope, once in her humanoid form clambered up to see what was going on, she entered the caboose and was shocked at how pink and orange the inside of the caboose was, she was flat out surprised to see that bolted to most of the walls were cupboards and cabinets all labelled in bright pink paint in cursive letters what the contents were.  
"Goodness, you'd think this was a makeover studio, Pen," Zoey joked as she walked in, trying to find her sister.

Penelope popped out from behind a changing divider she had set up and worriedly asked, "Zoe, what does Marina like? What's her favourite colour?"

Zoey walked over to her panicking sister and put her hand on her shoulder, reassuring gently, "Slow down, just calm down..."

The freckly brunette took some breaths to try to calm down. She uttered worriedly, "Zoey, I'm worried. I haven't seen Marina in years, would she still like me?" She walked over to her vanity desk and sat down at a seat bolted to the floor and rested her head on the desk, sighing loudly in agony and woe.

The bunny-eared brunette walked over and sat on the desk, placing her hand on her American sister's left shoulder, "Hey, don't sweat it so much. Marina was lost for a while, and a lot of her life she missed out on, so it's not been so long for her."   
She smiled to her sister and reassured gently as Penelope looked up, "You're Penelope Bell, you're a beautiful young GP30 just like me, and I just have this feeling Marina will love you for who you are. I mean, you and her got along well when we were kids, and teenagers when you could visit."

The orange clad brunette nodded, undoing her black dress apron and draping it over the back of the chair she was sitting on. She sat upright and looked up to Zoey, she softly asked, "What should I wear though?"

"What makes you feel the most happy to wear?"

"I don't know where we are even going, Zoe."

"She said she would take you to the Palm Lounge, that's where you and I used to go for tea on Sundays back in the 60s with Aunt Mildred and Aunt Sandy."

Penelope gasped slightly as she asked, "That place is still around? I thought humans didn't like old things."

The bespectacled brunette chuckled and with a wink responded, "In this city, people really like vintage."

Penelope stood up and went over to one of her closets and got out a beautiful orange short dress with an action red sash around the midsection. She held it up to herself, asking in her soft voice, "Too much you think?"

"Is that your work dress from when you were little?" Zoey asked as she walked closer to be nearer her sister

Penelope giggled and responded with anxious laughter, "Stop it Zoe!" She calmed down and responded, gently setting the dress aside for when she would get changed, "I had a few of them fixed to be cocktail dresses, I never ever truly outgrew them emotionally." She asked as she started to nervously run her fingers through the part of her long brunette waves that draped over her left shoulder, "Should I do anything with my.." but was interrupted by Zoey, who gently placed her hands on Penelope's.

"Sis, you look fine. Marina will love you for who you are inside."

Penelope hugged her older sister tightly and thanked happily, "Zoe, you're the best. I really hope you're right."

"Hey, you're my little sister, you might be American built, but I still am going to look out for you, even if you're almost all grown up."

Penelope laughed and lightly nudged her Canadian sibling, "Oh come on! I'm not that childish. I show men my chest at least once a year on a calendar page."

Zoey lowered her glasses in slight shock, "Wait, so YOU'RE the Miss May for those raunchy train-lady calendars? I thought that was another GP30."

"Yeah, it's actually surprisingly empowering, to know that I can just wear a mini-skirt, have my hair draped over my boobs, and sit on a station platform for an hour and a museum in need of funds will get donations. It's really exciting, you should try it sometime."

Zoey put her hands over her chest in fear, recalling to once when an ex of hers tried to convince Zoey to do something she didn't want to do.

Penelope noticed the action and hugged her sister, quelling carefully, "Oh goodness, I'm so sorry, I didn't think. I'm sorry again about what Cassidy did to you. I meant no harm but I'm so so sorry."

"It's alright, Penelope. I mean, it was a long time ago." Zoey attempted to discount her feelings to try not to make Penelope feel bad.

The former Great Northern 3001 responded as she stopped hugging her sibling, "We also do a safe-for-work calendar, maybe you'd like to be September?"  
Penelope looked over to her clock, as everything in the caboose was powered by solar panels when the caboose didn't have power running to it. She gasped, "It's almost 4 o'clock! I have one hour to get ready!"  
"I'm so sorry, Zoe, I have to get ready."

Zoey chuckled and responded, "No worries, I leave you to get ready, just let me know and I'll drive you when you're ready."

Penelope had no time to chat, she went behind the changing divider and started switching into her short orange dress with white lace.

The bunny-nosed brunette exited the caboose to let her younger sister get ready for the date.

To Be Continued


	30. Saturday Evening Mimosas in the old Tea Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penelope goes on her first date in a long time with Marina, in hopes to rekindle their teenage fling. Marina also wants that very much, lets see how these lipstick lesbians handle the awkwardness of being apart for so long in their initial attempts to rekindle their flame.
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Penelope the EMD GP30 is my OC

The humanoid GP units sat at a table by the large windows of the round shaped lounge in the Hotel Fort Garry.   
The ginger haired one looked over the menu briefly while adjusting the right shoulder of her action red and candy apple red sundress so it showed her white silk bra straps to add to her look. She lowered her menu, looking across the table to her slightly nervous brunette date.  
"So, it's been a while, huh, Penelope?"

Penelope blushed a little as she bashfully broke eye contact with the duo-chromatic eyes of Marina, softly admitting, "Yeah, gosh we were still teens when we met up and came here one weekend."

"So what happened between then and now with you? I mean, I got repowered and missed most of the last ten years being able to interact with others."

The brunette looked down at her sunset orange nails she had painted herself before she left for her date and remarked, "Honestly, a lot."  
She took a sip of the water and began to explain, "Well, when Great Northern was bought up by Burlington Northern, I no longer was ever brought up to Canada again. Which really broke my heart, and what was worse was no longer being allowed to wear orange and black at work. Just green, I was so sick of wearing green all the time, but I managed to survive in green, and then the accident happened."

Marina's eyes widened with worry, she looked at Penelope in a way asking for further explanation.

"So, I was headed back to the yard and I got into a little mishap with another train and I was down for a while for repairs, I was fine and while the repairs continued on and on, I didn't think it was an issue. I was working on September 12th back in 1980 in Burlington and I was assigned to take some old cars for scrap, not realizing I was also included in the scrap pile, I proudly took the train cars down the line to what would've been my death."

Marina sipped her sparkling water with cranberry, "So how did you escape?"

"While it SEEMS simple in hindsight, it wasn't at all," Penelope sighed as she recounted.  
"So after I overheard my engineer saying that I'd make a lovely anvil, I had lost my patience and I intentionally derailed myself near the bank of the Flint Creek, my engineer jumped cab as I went down the embankment and almost went into the water, and I turned human."  
Penelope took another sip of her water, sighing grimly as she remembered, "So, there I was, laying muddy, bloody and bruised on the river bank, pretending to be out cold. The engineer found me but determined that the coyotes would eat me and left be to die, he headed up to the rails to go flag down another train."

Marina responded with a bitter-sweet smile, "Clever thinking."

"Yes, well, then he was out of earshot, I started calling for help, and this hiker who was going to do some train spotting found me and helped me get back to his car. I didn't know it but John would become one of my longest time friends. So he helped me get to the hospital and for a while, because I was with Burlington Northern, the hospital looked after me while my bones healed on the railroad's dime, and often I went down to the children's wing to lead the kids in making crafts or I would tell them railroad stories and even after I had healed the hospital let me stay for a while to keep on entertaining the children... but then in March of the following year, the hospital discharged me, saying my health cost coverage had run dry. I had no where to go, and I couldn't turn into an engine again since BN could've just arrested me and sold me for scrap. So, I took my belongings my sisters had brought me and I went to try to find John again, he had said that if I needed anything again he would gladly help me."  
The brunette smiled and continued, her story now into a happy part, "So, I moved in with John, and him and some of his rail fan friends had an idea for a calendar that combined trains and swimsuit models, suggesting I should be the model and I pose with non-human diesels and steamers to help it sell better. Honestly I had butterflies about it at first, but 30 some odd years later and I'm still miss May for the calendars."

"Wait, that's you on those calendars? Oh gosh, I felt so guilty for years about yearning for Miss May."

Penelope giggled, "Yeah, but after working on the calendar for next year, I started feeling kind of empty. Missing being an engine, and well.. that's why I'm back in Canada. I still will do the calendar, and I can do a better job canvasing for other engines to be star models, but now I can be an engine again, and maybe I can work for my sister, Zoey."

The ginger haired woman remarked, "I know Zoey would hire you in the kick of a compressor, but the BUNX roster is rather full. Perhaps you could work at CP?" She winked her green left eye playfully before suggesting, "You know, then we work together sometimes."

Penelope blushed at the thought, smiling a bit before she asked worriedly, "But what if they run me into the ground and try to scrap me?"

"Penelope, at CP they adore Zoey and they want her back on the roster, but Zoey isn't going back, and odds are if you applied there you'd probably get some really relaxed job like track inspector or switch checker simply because CP Arlington wants a GP30 back in their yards as a symbol of the yard and so the railfans around here have another nice diesel to spot and foam over." Marina remarked in at first a serious tone, but being more jovial and playful when mentioning railfans.

The waiter approached with their mimosas and quesadillas.

"Thank you, sir," Penelope daintily responded before taking a sip of her mimosa, she then replied to Marina's suggestion, "I know, I just am worried they would reject me, I haven't done much real train work over the last 38 or so years."  
Penelope's mind changed gears as she took another sip of mimosa and looked around, she remarked with a slight giggle, "You know, Marina, being here right now makes me feel like I should order some tea and cakes instead of us having mimosas and quesadillas."

Marina stiffled a snicker and took a quesadilla off the fancy platter that it came upon. She responded kindly, "I know, but Lottie says these are to die for, not literally, but ya know." She cut the quesadilla with her knife and fork, worried about the social etiquette of being in a fancy restaurant and trying to eat what normally would be finger food. She used her spoon to put some salsa on her plate and tried a bite.  
"You'll like this, Pen, it's as delectable as you are cute when you get all flustered."

That statement alone made Penelope slightly cover her face with her hands, she whispered embarrassedly, "No, not right now, Marina. You're making me blush."  
After about a minute of Penelope calming down she decided to try some quesadillas and salsa herself, as well using a fork and knife since she was worried about getting salsa on her dress.  
The brunette tried some and stated, "Gracious, you're right, this is wonderful. I mean, you're more so, but you probably knew that, huh?"

Marina giggled and responded softly, "I don't get flustered like that, but I do appreciate the compliment."

Penelope leaned closer and remarked with a sweet smile, "That's the point, I just wanted to compliment you because I like you."

Marina held her right hand out, laying the back of her arm on the table, softly admitting, "I like you too," before Penelope placed her hand on the ginger's.

The two looked into each others' eyes for a little bit before Penelope felt something drip onto her legging from her right hand that was still holding the fork. Penelope glanced down and moved her skirt of her cocktail dress up a bit, she cursed softly, "Drat, my leggings." she set down the fork and was about to get out a tide pen from her purse when Marina stood up and with her napkin, gently wiped off the salsa from Penelope's right thigh.

Penelope turned a little pink in the cheeks from Marina having done that, she thanked in a soft voice, "Thanks Mar."

Marina smiled softly to her date and set the napkin down. She asked gently, "May I?"

Penelope asked, "Sure what do you mea.." but before she could finish her statement, Marina kissed Penelope on the right cheek gently before sitting back down on the other side of the table.  
The brunette giggled and turned pink with giddiness. She fanned herself both as a stim and to try to cool herself down.

The humanoid GMD GP20-ECO remarked as she fixed the velcros of her leg braces, "You're still the sweet girl that I used to love."

The humanoid EMD GP30 lovingly trilled to her ginger date, "And you still make my heart flutter and my freckled cheeks turn rosy."

The two happened to say in unison, "I think this will work out just fine."

To Be Continued


	31. The Struggles of a Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slight break in the Penelope arc, focusing on Nellie to give insight into the next chapter.
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Penelope the EMD GP30 is my OC

Nellie wasn't feeling quite right. She shook slightly while sitting on the couch, trying to draw something but she put aside her large bag of double sided markers she had gotten for her celebration back in August.   
The ginger started tearing up and stood up, and began walking to the back shop area of Zoey's home.   
"Zoey?" Nellie called out, hoping her friend would be there.  
She peeked around the corner and saw the workshop lights were off and Zoey's mech suit was charging in the corner.  
The ginger turned around and headed for Zoey's bedroom, "Zoey?"  
She entered the room and couldn't find her friend. Nellie ran frantically for the bathroom in Zoey's room and yelled, "ZOEY!?"

No one was in the bathroom either.

The ginger sunk to the tile floor and began crying uncontrollably. She couldn't find her best friend and housemate. Nellie cried louder as tears poured from her eyes, "ZOEY! ZOEY?! ZOEY, I REALLY NEED YOU. WHERE ARE YOU?"  
Nellie's voice trembled as she pleaded, "Zoe.... I need you... I need a hug... I... don't feel well again..."  
The fox eared diesel-humanoid trembled. Her tears blurring her vision, she wiped her tears away and saw her hands and arms had changed to that of her feral form. She glanced over to the mirror of the bathroom and saw she had turned into a fox monster.

The SW1001 jolted awake in the GWWD yard as she felt someone put their hand on her coupler.  
"WHO'S THERE?!" Nellie exclaimed in fear, blinking away the tears she was crying in her sleep.  
She looked down to see Penelope, she asked curiously, "Zoey?... no wait... JACKIE?!" she began to reverse out of fear.

The former GN GP30 humanoid ran after the SW1001, despite wearing heels and soothed in a soft voice not like her Canadian Sisters', "It's ok, it's ok. Don't be afraid."

Nellie stopped reversing and blinked in surprise, "You're not... you're not either?" she looked over the brunette, surprised she had the same brown eyes yet no glasses, the same long brown hair albeit the curls weren't as natural as Jackie's nor flat ironed like Zoey's, and the same snow white skin but with little grey freckles dotting her cheeks.

"No, I'm not, but I think if you know both my sisters that you're someone I know is a good diesel," Penelope stated as she made herself comfortable on Nellie's cat walk by the SW1001's face.  
"So who are you? My name is Penelope Bell."

"I'm Nellie, Nellie Dawn Joliet." 

Penelope assessed Nellie a bit and asked in a gentle tone, "You were muttering my older sister's name and crying while you were asleep... may I ask why?"

Nellie nervously laughed, "It's really silly."

Penelope placed her hand on one of Nellie's freckles and reassured, "Nonsense. You seem incredibly gentle and friendly, a wounded soul perhaps."  
The brunette responded to Nellie's expression of embarrassment, "The eyes are a gateway to the soul. Now don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I just want to make sure you're ok."

The SW1001's compressor kicked on, as if Nellie was sighing with her whole body. She remarked, "Zoey is my best friend and I had a horrible nightmare that she was missing and I couldn't find her. I would be lost without her."

"Awww, well you don't worry a single fleck of paint over it, Nellie. I'll stay with you until she gets back."

Nellie sniffled a bit and responded, "That's really sweet of you, Penelope."

The brunette gave a hug to the SW1001 and suggested gently, "Want to go to the station? We can talk there."

Nellie nodded and shrunk down to her human form. Penelope ending up being held by Nellie who tried her best not to drop her new friend. 

The former GN humanoid began walking towards the GWWD station with Nellie, leading the ginger inside.

At first the two sat silently for a bit in the break room before Nellie broke the silence.

"Penelope? Are you also a GMD diesel?"

The brunette giggled a bit and responded, "Golly, I wish. My forehead lamp is a new addition, but goodness I wish it was factory installed."  
"I'm an EMD, just like you are." 

The ginger took out of her back pocket a white stuffed bunny and held it close to her chest out of nervous habit, not realizing she was doing so.

"What a cute little bunny!" Penelope exclaimed, gently placing her hand on Nellie's shoulder when the ginger tried to put the plush away.  
"You don't have to be ashamed, I mean if you are still upset and need a comfort object that's okay by me. Sometimes when I'm nervous I wear my lucky ballet flats."

"Thanks," then Nellie tried to break the ice in a slightly nervous tone, "I-I appreciate that. You have really pretty brown eyes."

The humanoid GP30 giggled and happily responded, "Thanks, it matches my miles of brunette hair. Pretty much I could make almost every guy foamer within a ten mile radius start bleeding out the nose if they saw me."

"And girls." Nellie responded absent mindedly.

"Oh, yes definitely!" Penelope giggled and sighed. "If I didn't know better I would say you were hitting on me."

"No, no no no no." Nellie apologized in a panicked tone, "I'm not, I just mean... I don't know I just think you're pretty."

The brunette felt a little bad, remarking softly "I'm sorry for teasing like that."  
"For all I know you could be my sister's..."

Nellie shook her head no, she remarked, "Only friends."

"How come? You seem like a sweet little creature and you really care about her."

"It's a very long story, Miss." Nellie admitted, her fox ears pointing downwards and her face turning a bit rosy from shame.

Penelope admitted with a smile, "Gosh if I wasn't seeing Marina, I..."

The door opened to the station, Angeline was there, and she had happened to hear the tail end of the conversation.

Nellie covered her face in shame, anticipating the worst.

"Hey, you're Zoey's American sister, yes?" The winged humanoid diesel asked

"Yeah, who wants to know?"

Angeline explained, "Well, me, Angeline. I'm an SD40 here for BUNX, and well, I'm sorry I overheard, but there's a reason Nellie isn't seeing Zoey and probably wouldn't date you."  
The copper haired woman looked to the embarrassed Nellie and responded gently, trying to tiptoe around the sensitive topic for her friend.  
"Her and Jackie didn't quite work out once upon a time, and well, if she dated someone who looks like Jackie, then it might make Jackie a little...."

"Goodness," Penelope sighed, but then thought, "But what if Nellie WANTS to date someone who happens to be a brunette with brown eyes?"

Nellie laughed embarrassedly as she put away her stuffed rabbit, "No, I wouldn't. Don't worry, I'm single but not looking to mingle."

Penelope scolded in the sweetest voice to Angeline, "Look at this poor little switcher, you made her embarrassed. She would've probably explained it to me herself."

Angeline stammered, "B-b-but."

"Come on, Angeline, just because I said something doesn't mean that she thinks that way," the brunette turned her attention to Nellie and asked, "Since you can't go home since Zoey is out, you can stay over in the caboose I live in. I'm sure that'll take your mind off being sad."

Nellie shrugged and then was pulled up from the chair she was sitting at by Penelope. She silently waved to Angeline as she was brought by Penelope out of the station and to the caboose living space to be kept company so her mind wouldn't be flooded with worry.

To Be Continued


	32. Nellie's New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penelope and Nellie get to interact more in this chapter.
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Penelope the EMD GP30 is my OC

The two humanoid EMD diesels entered the restored Great Northern Blue Caboose, the brunette flipping on the lights that were solar powered once they were inside.

Nellie gasped excitedly as she saw the whole room was almost like a prop and costume room like at MTYP back when Nellie was with the Canadian Nationals Improv team and they'd borrow the stage and dressing rooms there.  
She admired the pink and peachy-orange hues and exclaimed excitedly, "This place is awesome!"

Penelope giggled softly as she lead the way to the little kitchen area by the back of the caboose, "Thanks, Nellie. This has been my house for probably the last couple years, some foamer friends helped make it for me."

The short ginger followed along behind the brunette, smiling slightly as she watched the ringlets of Penelope's shiny mane bounce slightly as she walked. 

The brown eyed humanoid GP30 opened her fridge and sighed, "I should've got groceries before inviting someone over," she looked at some fruit punch boxes, bottled water and pink lemonade that was in the fridge and wouldn't spoil if not refrigerated.  
She glanced back to Nellie and offered, "I have juice, lemonade, and water, Sweet Peach, what would you fancy?"

Nellie was about to answer when the pet name registered in her mind, "Sweet Peach?"

Penelope giggled, "Goodness, sorry, Nellie, I'm sorry for calling you that I liked calling some of the switchers on BN that sometimes, old habits are hard to stop."

"It's ok, just don't let Angie hear you call me that," the fox-eared woman giggled, "I'll have some lemonade, please."

The 6' even woman got down two plastic glasses that had the pattern of little flowers on them. She poured the pink lemonade into the cups and folded down a table that unhooked from the wall where two little seats were affixed to the wall. She sat on one and looked to Nellie encouraging the ginger to sit down, watching the blue-eyed best friend of Zoey sit down.

The ginger woman held the glass in her hands, looking across the table to her new friend. She asked curiously, "So, what brings you here to Winnipeg, if you don't mind my prying?"

"Oh goodness, you don't have to worry about asking that, Nellie," the woman with the magnesium milk coloured skin began, "I got tired of being a humanoid all the time and I want to be an engine again."  
The brunette stared upwards towards the angel's nest and out through the window at the sky changing from pinkish to a royal night purple, "Gosh, I've missed it so much. I miss pulling short trains, and switching cars, but gosh do I miss the railfans watching me from the tracks, just seeing their faces light up with joy, it's so nice to make someone happy by just existing, you know?"

Nellie felt a tear roll down her cheek, she laughed slightly as she responded, "I think I know the feeling. Zoey's told me that she's happy I exist and just.." Nellie choked up a little, feeling happy, "That makes me feel so glad I can do something right."  
She realized she was starting to get emotional and laughed off her feelings, wiping her eyes and she laughed, "Is someone cutting onions nearby? I'm allergic."

"Awww, that's so adorable." Penelope reassured, also holding her glass of pink lemonade, "Zoey is very lucky to have a friend like you." Penelope asked curiously, "How did you two meet anyways?"

"Well, it was honestly an accident of me messing around with my cab radio when I started talking to Zoey from happening upon her that way," the ginger stated before she took a sip of her lemonade, setting down the glass before continuing her story, "And, I was working on the Esquimalt Nanaimo at the time."

"Wait it's pronounced Es-kwhy-malt?"

"Apparently it is, and it's not Es-qui-malt like you said and what I called it for a month until one day the big SD40 told me to say it right if I was gonna work there."

Penelope asked, "So, you worked along side Jaqueline?"

Nellie laughed nervously as she answered, "If by worked along side you mean basically obsessed over and her around like a lost little pup, then yes."

"Aww so you had a crush on my eldest sister?"

Nellie nervously tapped her glass with her fingernails  
"Well, 'crush' is putting it VERY mildly. I was essentially in so much love I never wanted to come down from the elation it gave me. I was love-drunk, and the fact that she had me saved from being dismantled only fueled my adoration further."  
Nellie let go of the glass and nervously fidgeted with the bow on her braid, "She liked it at first, but eventually she found me as overwhelming as the smell of a dollar store vanilla scented candle. At first, it smells wonderful, but then like 1 hour later your house smells like you've been making vanilla pudding every day for a month."

Penelope's eyes widened a little at the mental image and asked, "Pudding?"

Nellie let out a snicker before she recomposed herself.  
"Yes, and at one point this diesel was out to get her, and after then I started becoming really protective of her, I became way too much, and when she broke up with me..." Nellie raised her right hand to one of her fox ears before somberly remarking, "I turned feral in a fit of depression and anger."  
Nellie sighed, "I've come a ways since then, but I still worry if I'm still the same monster, ya know?"

Penelope reassured, "Honestly, Sweet Peach, the fact that you opened up about it and that you feel bad about then shows you're so much of a better diesel now, Nellie. And don't worry, I won't judge you for something you did in the past."

Nellie nervously responded with a laugh, "I'm glad, honestly almost everyone seems to do that to me," before she drank some of the carnation coloured drink from her glass. She apologized once she finished her beverage, "Sorry for talking about some really heavy emotional stuff."

Penelope put her hand on Nellie's arm and rubbed gently like how an aunt would be reassuring to her niece, she reassured in a caring and friendly tone, "Hey, it's ok, it's important to talk about those things."

"But I literally just met you."

"The way you opened up to me is, and I'm certain of it, a sign you psychologically likely registered me in your mind as a friend because I remind you of Zoey and Jacqueline," the brunette explained, she took a small sip of her drink.

The humanoid SW1001 softly asked, "Penelope?"

Penelope let out a 'hmm' as a means to encourage Nellie to say what she wanted to.

"I just realized I didn't yet explain how I got HERE, like Winnipeg, again."

"Again?"

Nellie remarked letting go of the glass so it sat on the table in front of her, "Yeah, I was here after EJE failed and CN took me as their training unit, and now that I'm BUNX, CN leases me for that purpose but Zoey brought me here so I would be safe from scrappers who wanted to buy me to use as parts after my feral incident made the RTC say to move me elsewhere." She smiled and did a slight jazzhands, "And that's why I'm here."

Penelope let out a small giggle before she remarked, "Well, I'm glad you're here, Nellie. It's always nice making new friends."

"You want to be my friend?" Nellie asked, her greyish blue eyes lighting up with joy.

"Of course, you silly goose, a friend of Zoey's is a friend of mine."

Nellie leaned over the table quickly and hugged Penelope surprising her.

Penelope hugged the humanoid SW1001 back and laughed, "I think we will get along great, Nellie, especially if you like shopping."

Nellie let go of Penelope and eagerly trilled, "I love shopping! It's nice buying things!"

Penelope reached her hand across the table curiously, trying to get closer to the bow at the end of the fox-eared woman's braid, "Also I adore your bow, where did you find it?" Penelope looked to Nellie's face once she started holding the bow and the braid that it was attached to. Her brown eyes studdied Nellie's face seeing the freckled cheeks of the grey-skinned plus sized woman turn a little rosy with nervousness. 

"Please don't touch my braid," Nellie asked worriedly.

Penelope let go of the bow and gently patted Nellie's braid softly before putting her hands on the table in front of her. She softly apologized, "I'm sorry, I know I'm not fond of random people touching my hair as well I spend like at least an hour on it every day to get it to do the cab shape thing."

Nellie remarked, "It's ok, I just, I don't know, I don't like people touching my hair because I'm self conscious."

"Why would you be? It's a really pretty colour, but I do understand the touch thing. I'll ask next time."

Nellie realized she might have been too worried over nothing, Penelope, who looked quite a bit like Jackie had literally touched her braid and Nellie didn't instantly fall in love or anything.  
"I'm sorry for overreacting, Penelope. I mean you wouldn't do anything bad to me, I'm sure."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

The brunette humanoid GP30 called out, "Please, let yourself in, the door is unlocked."

The door opened and Zoey entered carefully, ducking slightly to make sure her rabbit ears didn't get caught on the door frame. She greeted, "Hey Penelope, Hey Nell."

Nellie stood up and ran over to her best friend, exclaiming happily, "ZOEY!" she hugged the bunny eared woman tightly.

Penelope stood up and walked over to her humanoid Canadian sister and also hugged her. She happily greeted, "Hello Zoey. I was just making friends with your friend, Nellie."

Nellie looked up to the pale woman dressed in blue and white before explaining, "Yeah, she and I talked and had pink lemonade and she lives in this really cool caboose!"

Zoey chuckled at Nellie's enthusiasm before she asked to her sister, "Would you mind if on Monday you and Nellie spent some time together? She has the day off but I have to go out to Selkirk to help Ruby with some shipments of grain."

Penelope let go of Zoey and responded with a smile as she looked to the 5'3'' humanoid SW1001, "I wouldn't mind that at all, Nellie's a real peach."

Nellie stopped hugging Zoey and happily suggested, "Penelope, do you like drawing? I could bring over my art stuff."

"You draw?" the former Great Northern woman asked before she cheerfully remarked, "It's been a while but I wouldn't mind drawing."

Nellie excitedly remarked, "Wait here, I'm going to go get my sketchbook, I'll be back in 10 minutes." She hurried out the door to go get her artbook from 404 Archibald.

Zoey turned to Penelope after watching Nellie hurry out the door. She softly stated, "Hey, Pen, thanks for agreeing. Nellie has really bad depression and struggles a lot and I want someone to be there to keep her from thinking too much and getting really down. I'm sorry to put this on you on such short notice and after you literally just met her, but it's really important to me."

Penelope looked in surprise towards the door.  
"She seems pretty up-beat, even when she was talking about some sad stuff. Golly, Zoe, I don't mind it at all. I'll gladly keep Nellie company on Monday. I think I could use that as a chance to see the city again now that I'm back."

Zoey laughed, "I'll get the Ford Focus off storage so you two can drive around in a car."

Nellie bolted back in and asked excitedly, "YOU HAVE A SECOND CAR?!"

The brunette with the cyan highlights laughed, "You and your super fox ears." She responded, "Yeah, I picked it up maybe a month ago just in case something ever happened to the van." She said with a smile, "And anyways, I know you're a responsible driver, Nellie."

The fox eared woman smiled happily and thought out loud, "Now, why was I outside?"

"You wanted to get your sketch book, but I think it's getting late, so maybe we could invite Penelope over tomorrow for waffles."

Nellie asked, "I thought we invited Marina over for waffles."

The former GN brunette perked up as she heard this.  
"Marina AND chocolate waffles? Count me in!"

To Be Continued


	33. Great Aunt Lottie at the Freshco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penelope goes grocery shopping at night and runs into someone
> 
> Nellie is my trainsona.  
> Zoey the GP30 belongs to Zoey, a personality residing within me  
> Ellie is a part of me  
> Renee the GP39-2R is my OC  
> Lazuli and Marina the GP20-ECOs are my OCs  
> Red the RS23 is my OC  
> Star the AC44 is my OC  
> Malcolm Goldstein the GE C40-8.5  
> Rainy the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Angie the GMD SD40-2 is my OC  
> Penelope the EMD GP30 is my OC

The sound of low heeled shoes walking on the linoleum floors of budget grocery store was nearly in time to the beat of Havana playing over the store intercom.  
The brunette tapped her palms lightly on the push bar of the cart before glancing down at her phone to check over her list of foods she needed for the week while she would prepare to apply for work at Canadian Pacific.  
"Strawberries, eggs, cake mix, milk, cereal, bread, boxed macaroni, peanut butter, pita shells, pasta sauce, rotini, breaded chicken, tea, some fresh vegetables, salad dressing, maybe some flour and bananas to make some banana muffins," the brunette absent mindedly read to herself before heading over to the sale bins for the produce.  
"Cherries? This late in the season?" Penelope murmured to herself softly before looking them over and putting a bag of cherries into her cart before noticing that cucumbers and kiwi were also on, stocking up on that too. She softly thought outloud, "I could make a nice little fruit tray for waffles tomorrow at Zoey's."  
She graciously headed over to where the bananas and apples were, making sure to get some bananas for muffins and six shiny mackintosh apples for a nice snack or to dress up her cinnamon tea she often would drink at night.  
Penelope walked to a stretch of refrigerated shelves and grabbed up some grapes, peaches, and nectarines, as well as some oranges, proudly thinking about making a fruit tray and using what was left over to make some fruit salad or maybe a smoothie.  
The brunette began walking over to the vegetables to pick out what she would need to make some simple salads when she glanced over by the door entering into produce.

A woman, looking to be in her late forties yet still looking quite young in spirit, had just entered and made her way over to look at the bell peppers, picking out one of each colour carefully.

"That can't be, can it?" Penelope thought to herself, looking the blonde woman in the white with maroon and black dress over for ANY indication that it was someone she knew.

The deep emerald green eyes of the woman glanced over to the brunette's direction, making the humanoid GP30 look away as to not seem odd. She looked a little at Penelope silently, thinking over if she herself knew who this brunette was but she didn't feel like bothering her.

Penelope looked over her shoulder to see the blonde woman approaching, and she moved out of the way while still examining the woman, and Penelope's brown eyes caught sight of something.  
A shimmering gold charm bracelet with a lot of charms, but one stood out the most, a shining red and gold crown alike the symbol painted on the Royal Hudsons.  
Penelope couldn't keep her silence, she stammered, worried of being too awkward, "Aunt Lottie?"

The humanoid steam engine stopped and looked at the brunette, she got out of her purse a pair of glasses to make sure she WAS seeing things right.  
"Oh my stars, IT IS you, Penelope dear!" Lottie happily greeted. She set down her grocery basket on a display of avocados near by and hugged Penelope tightly.

Penelope laughed happily and hugged the former CP 2828 back. She was so happy to see her great aunt again.  
"It's been so long!"

Lottie let go of the humanoid EMD GP30 and she remarked in surprise, "Look at you, you're all grown up now! And look at your freckles! Zoey's and Jackie's had disappeared as they got older." Lottie studied her American niece a little more.  
"You look lovely dear. Who's your stylist?"

Penelope laughed, "I don't have one, silly, because I learned from the best."

The blonde woman rubbed the right cheek of her niece in a caring and parental manner.  
"Aww, dear, that's so sweet. What brings you up to Canada after all these years?."

"Almost, but, not quite, Aunt Lottie," Penelope remarked on the theory before answering the question, "I just really needed a change of scenery, and maybe I'll be working at maybe CP or somewhere soon."

Lottie picked up her grocery basket, and the two started walking together and talking as Penelope resumed picking out groceries.

"So where are you living, sweetie?"

Penelope lightly pressed her hand down on a loaf of bread to make sure it was soft enough, explaining as she did so, "I live in a Great Northern Caboose, mind you the inside looks more like a personal dressing room for me but with a kitchen and a very tiny bathroom, and it's been my home for a while now since some really nice foamers that make a calendar where.."

Lottie stopped her niece and asked, "Do you mean the True RailFan series of calendars? You know where humanoid engine ladies dress up in bikinis or lingerie and pose on tracks?"  
Before Penelope could answer, Lottie realized something, "You're Miss May every year, aren't you?"

Penelope turned rather rosy in the cheeks, smiling as an indicator

"No no, it's nothing to be embarrassed by."

"I'm not embarrassed by me being a model, it's empowering to show my beautiful human form, just no one really KNOWS which engine I am since I've been off the rails for so long," Penelope admitted, "Maybe if I'm hired by Canadian Pacific then I can get the attention of more foamers and possibly sell more calendars and be able to donate more to one of the many rail museums on this continent."  
The brunette wandered over to one of the open freezers and decided if she wanted to get some ground chicken for pitas, still chatting with her great aunt, "Do you ever feel this way?"

"There ARE times I miss being able to pull passenger trains or teach the next generation, yes, but I've grown accustomed to being one of the head instructors and stylists at the local Aveda school that it genuinely makes me happy," the humanoid MLW steamer admitted proudly.

Penelope almost dropped the her phone in surprise when she heard that.  
"You're licensed now, AND an instructor? That's really awesome, I'm so happy for you!" Penelope exclaimed, "Oh Max would be so proud of you."

Lottie sighed, "I know sweetie. I'm wondering though if I should move on and start seeing people, or if they would be mad."

The two headed by the pasta section, Penelope deciding if she wanted Prego, Ragu, or Hunt's, she was blunt but in a caring manner, "Lottie, I think you are over thinking this, Max wouldn't mind if you moved on I'm sure. Plus you deserve to feel loved and not just be single forever, you know?"

Lottie hugged her great niece from the side and stated softly, "Sorry for talking about this kind of stuff."

Penelope leaned into the hug slightly before she was let go and decided on two cans of Hunts 4 Cheese sauce since then she would have more than enough.  
"Don't worry, Aunt Lottie, I'm not a little girl putting on too much makeup at Aunt Sandra's vanity anymore."

The two slightly laughed at that memory.

Lottie remarked cheekily, "You ever curl your hair super tight like back then?"

Penelope laughed as she responded, "Goodness, never! I like wearing it like this most of the time," she let go of her cart and placed her left hand on her flowing soft wavy curls while her right hand gently held the bottom of a large and well formed ringlet that rested on her chest.  
"Normally I wear the rest up in a bun, but tonight I wanted to wear it down," the humanoid GP30 smiled, glancing over her shoulder to gesture towards her wavy curls that flowed down half way down her skirt.

Lottie laughed, "And not a split end in sight!"

Penelope remarked with a giggle, "I don't get those anyways, being a diesel in great condition has its perks."   
Her and Lottie made their way to the cereal aisle, still chatting up a storm.  
The sweethearted brunette looked up to the cereal shelf and saw they did in fact have Trix cereal for a good price and she put 3 boxes into her cart.

"Someone likes kid's cereal," Lottie teased slightly as she got a box of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios for herself.

Penelope rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips and responded with a laugh, "I can't help it that the pretty cereal is meant for kids. I just like starting off my day in a colourful way."

Lottie inquired as she went to get a bottle of grapefruit juice, "Have you seen Marina since you've been in town?"

The brunette's freckled cheeks turned rosy at the mention of Marina's name. She softly remarked with a slight giggle, "I have, gosh is she pretty."

Lottie laughed, looking back to her great niece, "And I'm guessing you're gayer than the flag twirler at Pride, huh, sweetie?"

"Well, if by that if you're asking if I'm into butches, not really, I know I'm a lipstick lesbian and that means I should like butch ladies, but..."

Lottie reassured her great niece as she put her hand on the brunette's shoulder, "Hey, it's ok, Pen. If you like other femme and girly lesbians, that's totally fine."

The former Great Northern humanoid GP30 whispered in a worried tone, "What if Marina prefers butch lesbians?"

"Oh, I doubt that very much, Penelope dear. In between when you were away and before she got repowered and lost, she was with Vesper for a little while, you know, Venus' daughter."

Penelope looked down slightly upon hearing that.

"No, Penelope, it's not like that... They didn't work out?"

"W-well how come?"

Lottie laughed, "You know how they're both gingers, right? Their tempers would often clash a LOT. It wasn't very healthy for them."

Penelope beamed, giggling slightly as the two humanoid engines made their way to the pasta and canned veggies aisle, "So, basically, she only has eyes for me?"

"You can bet your freckles on that, dear."

The two chatted a bit as they made their way through the rest of the store. They mostly caught up with each other and laughed about old memories.

Penelope and Lottie went up to the cashiers to pay, Lottie going first as she only had a few items.   
The blonde former Canadian Pacific engine asked to the humanoid GP30, "That's a lot of groceries, Penelope, how did you get here?"

"I went down the CP line and took a bus the rest of the way," the brunette remarked, "It shouldn't be a.." she was interrupted by her Aunt who was now paying.

"There's no way you're taking a bus with all that stuff, Penelope! You'll hurt your back and blow out a turbo-charger in your standard form," Lottie scolded softly before she demanded politely, "You will come along with me, and I will drive you back to where you are living, dear. No buts."

Penelope hugged her Aunt as her items were being rung through, "Awww, thanks Aunt Lottie, you're the best."

To Be Continued


	34. A Delightful Sunday Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penelope and Marina get invited over for waffles to Zoey's house, basically more cute gay stuff and also wholesome Nellie and Zoey friend stuff.

The humanoid SW1001 had trouble sleeping at night, and now that it was the morning and Zoey and her had a breakfast to get ready, she was excitedly bouncing slightly as she rolled the cutlery in napkins like she used to do when she was still young and would see her dad's parentals, Grandpuff and Granny Helia two old timey steamers who lived in a cozy cottage by the lake as humanoids.

The ginger looked over to Zoey who was putting more batter into the wafflemaker, happily asking, "When are Penelope and Marina coming over?"

Zoey couldn't help but laugh at her friend's high energy. She remarked with a giggle as she brought from the cupboard some maple syrup, a bottle of Aunt Jemima syrup, and a jar of nutella, "Did you eat jelly beans last night? You're practically bouncing off the walls Nel,"

"I'm sorry, just, Marina's back, and Penelope's my new friend and this is really awesome, and aren't they like besties like us?"

The brunette went to the fridge, answering with a bit of a chuckle, "I think they might be way more than besties, Nellie. Think more like Angie and Sapph."

"OHHHH!" Nellie responded with surprise before she smiled and blurted out, "Wait, if they got married, who would wear a dress?"

Zoey looked at Nellie weirdly before laughing at Nellie's weird question. She responded, "Nel, they're not gonna get married probably for a long time. They have a lot of catching up to do." Zoey grabbed the jar of strawberry jam and brought it to the table as she cheekily explained, "Honestly, I think they both would wear wedding dresses in that situation and now I wonder how I would be the best woman for both of them."

Nellie and Zoey looked at each other and laughed a bit before they heard a knock at the door.

The ginger, who had finished rolling the cutlery into the napkins went to answer the door.  
Nellie opened the door to see a happy looking Marina, using a pair of crutches to walk since she still had some walking issues from the repower.

Marina smiled as she looked to Nellie.  
"Good Morning, Nellie, it's good to see you in a good mood and not so gloomy."

Nellie looked perplex, slightly raising one of her strawberry blonde eyebrows, "I've seen you maybe twice."

Marina laughed softly, "Oh right, sorry, I guess I'm thinking of a while ago when I was still a ghost."

Zoey pulled a chair out from the table being polite to her childhood friend who entered into her home.  
"Don't let in a draft, Mar, make yourself at home. It might not be Aunt Sandy and Mildred's but you're always welcome here."

The humanoid GP20-ECO made her way over to the table, set down her crutches leaning against the table and sat down at the chair.  
She looked over and remarked, "Zoey, you might want to check on the waffle maker."

The brunette went over to the waffle maker and opened it, seeing the waffle was now slightly toastier than the other ones. She chuckled, "Thanks, Marina, you're quite spooky sometimes like that."

The Canadian Pacific humanoid diesel shrugged slightly.  
"I just sometimes know, you know?"

There was another knock at the door, prompting Nellie to go see who it was.  
Sure enough it was Penelope, with a beautiful fruit tray at hand.

"Good morning!" the brunette trilled as she was let into the industrial home, "I brought a fruit tray!"

Nellie looked at the quaint medium-sized tray, her grey-ish blue eyes studying the colourful fruits on it, from the fresh strawberries and cherries to the slices of kiwi and bananas.  
"That looks really good!"

The brunette former Great Northern woman giggled, "It took me hardly any time to make this little thing," before noticing Marina. She hurried inside and gently set her tray down on the table before sitting right beside the humanoid CP 2222.  
"Good Morning, beautiful," Penelope remarked in a bubbly tone.

"You're pretty good looking yourself," Marina flirted back, making her girlfriend blush.

Nellie sat beside Penelope and happily asked, "So you two go back more than just the date you two had yesterday, right?"

Zoey brought over a plate with a stack of pancakes as well as the milk and answered to Nellie, "They've known each other since 1963, which honestly, doesn't sometimes seem so long ago."

Penelope laughed a bit, "Zoey used to be shorter than you, Nellie, and she used to wear these cute little overalls, but I too was also very little, and I wore a frilly orange dress."

Nellie asked, "Marina, what about you?"

Marina explained as she took a waffle, "I looked no where as nice as I do now, some stupid F-Unit made me get a hideous platinum blonde bob and I had to wear extensions for like 2 years til the orange grew out."

"Gosh, I'm sorry that happened," Nellie sympathized as she took a waffle for herself as well.

"I'm really glad Aunt Lottie helped you feel more like you during that time, Mar, you looked really cool with that blue," Zoey added as she took some cherries onto her plate.

Penelope giggled slightly as Marina stated, "And now you have the blue in your hair done by Lottie."

Nellie responded politely, "It helped me stop calling her Jackie by accident."

Zoey patted Nellie on the noggin and stated to her EMD sister and her childhood best friend, "And you both, I'm sure know Nellie, she's my roommate and best friend."

"The little troublemaker of the ENR, huh?" Marina lightly teased before she spoke in a polite tone, "It's nice to actually sit down and meet you, I'm glad your sister Ellie helped get Lazuli to work for a better company."  
The duo-chromatic eyed woman looked to Penelope and remarked, "And I do believe that you, Penelope, happen to be Miss May for those rail fan calendars."

Nellie dropped the spoon for the nutella, "You're on a calendar? That's so cool! Which railfan calendar?"

Zoey looked sideways at her best friend slightly, trying to get her friend to figure out which one, "It's the most popular one."

The 5'3'' humanoid SW1001 stared towards the ceiling trying to figure it out. She quietly asked, "Geeps of all Seasons? I know Jackie was featured once on that one."

"True Railfan series," Penelope sweetly stated as she put a waffle on her plate and started decorating it with some fruit.

"True, Railfan?" the shorter ginger asked curiously.

Marina chuckled, "It's ok, Nellie, it's kind of really risque for you." The humanoid GP20-ECO drizzled a generous amount of maple syrup onto the waffles she had on her plate.  
The duo-chromatic eyed woman continued, "It's not the standard rail calendar by any stretch of the imagination."

"Wait, does that mean Penelope doesn't wear clothes for that one?" Nellie gasped, her face turning a little rosy, trying not to think about Penelope that way since she didn't want those thoughts in her head.

"Oh, goodness no, usually I'm wearing a bikini or something to keep me modest enough."

Zoey looked rather embarrassed and uncomfortable because of the conversation.

Penelope iterated with a smile, "But I'm looking to become a full-time diesel, since sitting around waiting for the next photoshoot is so dull."  
The former GN brunette took a bite of the chocolate chip waffles and remarked with a smile once she was done chewing and swallowing it, "These are wonderful, Zoey. Oh, but remember when poor Aunt Mildred spent so long trying to figure out how to work that darned waffle iron."

"It's the same one I have" the bespectacled brunette snickered before pointing back at the old fashioned Belgian waffle maker.  
She snickered slightly as she took a cherry off the fruit tray, "That thing is older than me and refuses to quit."

The four sat at the table, chatting even long after they had finished their breakfasts.  
Nellie even at one point brought out her sketchpad to show art to Penelope and Marina, but one thing was truly clear to Zoey, Marina and Penelope were still just as gay as they were when they were young.

To Be Continued


	35. Broken Down POS Switcher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nellie gets screamed at on a Sunday because she can't do anything right.  
> TW// domestic abuse and suicidal ideation and self harm

Nellie, who had a lovely morning, felt like the day was all terrible now.  
The nice Sunday morning was now mid-afternoon, and she was at the CN training yards, switching cars for Slade.

"COME ON YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT BOLT BUCKET!" the Dash 9 screamed across the yard at the little switcher who's trucks were still aching from the day she had hurt them.

Nellie did her best to keep her eyes from watering, any sign of weakness and she would get a lecture.  
The SW1001 brought the practice hoppers over by the work safety building before it was on to the next task, getting some full tanker cars to the shops.

Slade glared down with his eyes at the tiny switcher before he ordered, "Go get those 15 tankers from over by the shops and bring them to the refuel depot near the East yard end, come on! We don't have all day."

The little black, red and white diesel looked down the track to the line of tanker cars. She remarked, her voice tremoring, "I will get them in two trips."

Slade pulled up beside the diesel whom was his daughter and slammed onto his brakes creating a horrid screeching sound. He remarked, "You're strong enough to take all of them at once, don't be a fucking wimp, low-hood."

Nellie didn't like being called low-hood, it was a slur used for slug units that once were engines. The SW1001 threw herself open to notch 8, heading towards the tankers a little too fast.  
CLANK! The SW1001's coupler jostled as she coupled on to the tanker cars.

"I DON'T WANT NO SHITTY ASS ATTITUDE! YOU CAN SHOW THAT TO YOUR BUNNY FRIEND BUT NOT TO ME, SHITCAN!"

The SW1001 fought back the tears, and proceeded to pull the train of full diesel tanker cars.  
She cursed softly, as her father would've reprimanded her, as she pulled the train backward. Her engine whined more than usual under the strain of the load while she was in psychological distress.  
The greyish-blue eyes of the diesel kept close on the train in front of her, hoping her coupler wouldn't slip. Nellie's compressor kicked on as she tried to get more air into her engine.

Slade rolled his eyes and barked, "You're giving attitude over a short train?! WHEN I WAS A U-BOAT I WOULDN'T STRUGGLE WITH 15 TANKERS!! IT'S SIMPLE WORK!"

Nellie felt her coupler start slipping, she hoped it wouldn't give, pulling the tankers with every ounce of strength her engine could muster up, but the coupler slipped open and Nellie rolled back a bit before coming to a stop to make sure she wouldn't go flying back and off the tracks, the tankers following her slowly before coming to a stop 10 metres from her.

"YOU STUPID, WORTHLESS BROKEN DOWN PIECE OF SHIT SWITCHER!" Slade yelled, causing the SW1001 to flinch, "What the HELL are you doing? Why are you struggling to pull something so light?"

Nellie, in a state of psychological rage responded back with her own voice now yelling, "BECAUSE I'M ONLY AN SW1001! I'M NOT A GE! I'M NOT BUILT TO HAUL ALL," she was interrupted, causing her to flinch.

"IS THIS HOW YOU SHOW RESPECT??!!? IF THIS IS YOU GETTING RAGEFUL AT ME THEN I SUGGEST YOU GO ONTO ANTI-PSYCHOTICS TO TAKE THAT BAD ATTITUDE OUT OF YOU!"  
Before Nellie could speak, the larger diesel switched onto the track she was on and started pushing the tankers towards Nellie, making the diesel couple up onto the line of cars.  
"Maybe I'm not being harsh enough? Maybe I'm being too NICE? HUH? WELL NO MORE MR. NICE DAD!" Slade barked, pushing the tankers quickly.

Nellie panicked as she was pushed back with the tankers, she breathed heavily out of fear through her mouth. She began to beg, "P-p-please, Mr. Slade, please don't hurt me."

Slade stopped and sent the line of cars coasting back with Nellie still attached, he yelled to the daughter he had factory ordered half a century ago, "YOU'RE BARELY FUNCTIONAL! YOU ARE HARDLY EVEN ABLE TO CALL YOURSELF A DIESEL!"

Nellie muttered to herself, "I wish I was deceased," she now had tears streaming from her face. She wished her engine would give and it would render her useless, maybe then she would get some rest.

"DRAMA QUEEN!" Slade shouted at Nellie, trying to make her 'snap to her senses' but it only caused the little diesel more distress.  
He rolled towards the clattering emotional rental diesels and spoke down at her harshly, "You're lucky that I let you have a little playdate with your little bunny friend tomorrow, but you better expect that you obey me while you work for me!"

Nellie, too frightened now to stand her ground, gave up any hope of escaping this situation and prepared herself for a lecture on showing any emotions, besides contentments or numbness, while working.

"Excuse me," A polite voice rang out while the sound of a 16 cylinder Dash 8 engine approached.

Nellie looked her tear filled eyes towards a familiar teal engine approaching from by the shops.

Slade backed up a bit and changed his demeanour remarking, "Good Afternoon, Miss Dia-Bella,"

Sapphirra looked upon Nellie and could already assess what was going on, but pretended that Slade wasn't in the wrong, hoping to not cause further conflict. She eloquently stated in a quite official tone, "Miss Joliet is required by the yard staff down in Symmington. You don't mind her going down there to assist for the rest of her allotted time here, do you?"

Slade's compressor kicked on as a sigh, he wanted his daughter to 'get her hood on straight and do her damn work', but he couldn't do much seeing as Sapphirra was the head of the Symmington Diesels and Humans Relations department.  
"Alright, but she's been giving me attitude, keep an eye on her to make sure she behaves."

Nellie uncoupled herself from the line of cars and backed up to a switch which took her to the line that Sapphirra was on.

"It's appreciated, Slade, have a wonderful day," the blue devil locomotive spoke softly before leading Nellie away.

It wasn't until the two reached where the yard bottle-necked into the line running parallel to Pandora road.

Nellie spoke up softly, sniffling slightly from having cried so much, "H-How did you know to find me?"

"I mean, Angie told me that you had to work today, I figured that I should come check up on you," the beautifully blue Dash-8 remarked as she looked over to the little SW1001.  
"He shouldn't be doing this to you, you don't even belong to CN full time anymore."

"But he's my dad... he makes me feel like I owe him everything, and if I don't obey he makes my life a living nightmare... Please don't get him in trouble, Sapph, I can't risk if he would take it out on my Mom, Debbie Joliet."

Sapphirra sighed, "That's not how problems get fixed..." her teal eyes looked to the frightened and sad little switcher before she restated, "but if you feel your safety is at risk, I'll only chalk up a warning for him calling you names, alright?"  
She looked to Nellie who still was rather distraught  
"Hey, should I call Zoey to come pick you up?"

Nellie sniffled, a few leftover tears running down her pale grey face, "I... I want my Mom right now."

Sapphirra soothed, "Hey, shhh, it's ok. I know Debbie is on a freight run right now, but she'll be back on Tuesday."  
The silence from the switcher made the larger diesel come up with another idea.  
"Do you want me to bring you back to BUNX?"

Nellie wasn't sure what she should do, she sat on the tracks silently, not even shifting forms, worried that her being that upset would cause her humanoid form to be feral.  
"... I'm not sure..."

The kind Dash-8 chuckled softly before she suggested, "I think you deserve some compensation for your workplace trauma today. How's about we head back to the yard office and order you a cheese pizza before I get you home safe, alright?"

"H-how do you?"

Sapphirra remarked with a laugh, "Angie once told me that she's glad you and Ellie both like plain cheese pizza too, it makes her feel less 'odd'."

So the two made their way to the Symmington Yard for Sapphirra to uphold her offer to her friend.

To Be Continued


End file.
